An Act of Friendship
by clride
Summary: How far will John Gage go for a friend?
1. Chapter 1

A/N – Please be kind as I have no medical background,

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**An Act of Friendship**

_by: CLR_

'Johnny, you about ready to go?' Johnny heard through the bathroom door. "Yeah, be out in a minute," he replied as he finished drying his face. He looked closely in the mirror and noticed the rings under his eyes and the pale complexion. He hated to admit it, but he really wasn't feeling well. _'Hope I'm not getting sick,'_ he thought as he hobbled over and opened the bathroom door, finding Joanne waiting patiently with the wheelchair…

Three weeks ago he had been caught up in an explosion at a warehouse fire. At the end of the day the tally was a broken arm and leg, some bruised ribs, and of course, a concussion. He had spent a week at Rampart and had been staying with the DeSotos ever since. Brackett had not given him a choice. If he was honest with himself, he knew he was in no shape to be at home alone yet.

He gingerly sat in the wheelchair as Joanne asked, "All set?" He nodded as she slowly turned the wheelchair and pushed him down the hall. Joanne was taking him for a checkup with Brackett.

"Jenny, I'm taking Uncle Johnny now, you be good for Mrs. Harrison." Joanne said as they passed through the living room. Jenny had been home with a bad cold the last few days and Mrs. Harrison, the next door neighbor, had come over to watch her while Joanne took Johnny to Rampart.

"She'll be fine." Mrs. Harrison replied as she opened the door to the garage for them.

Joanne loaded Johnny into the station wagon and put the wheelchair in back.

As she got in the car and belted up, she looked over at Johnny. "Are you feeling okay? You look tired," she said as she noted how pale he looked and the circles under his eyes. She started to reach over to feel Johnny's forehead, but he turned toward her and said, "I'm just tired, didn't sleep well last night." Joanne dropped her hand as she contemplated Johnny's admission. _'Oh well, if there's anything else going on, I'm sure Dr. Brackett will catch it,'_ she thought as she started the car.

The drive to Rampart was quiet. Neither of them saying a word; Johnny because he wasn't feeling well and Joanne because she was busy watching the rain soaked roads. Southern California had been hit with a number of heavy rainfalls over the last week and a half and the roads were slick.

They were driving on a narrow road when Joanne thought she heard the faint sound of a siren. She looked around but didn't see anything. As they approached a bridge, the sound started to get louder. When she caught a glimpse of flashing lights in her rearview mirror, she pulled over. Knowing how narrow the road was, she pulled completely off the road. The tires of the station wagon sunk into the shoulder, which was soft from all the rain. Joanne had just recognized the shape of a squad coming up behind them, when the car shifted to the right and started to roll down the embankment. She screamed.

When he felt the car start to roll, Johnny tried to brace himself. Little moans escaped him as his body jerked from side to side. He felt like they were on a bad carnival ride as they continued to flip. When his ribs hit the door, he grunted. He heard Joanne cry out and saw stars when his cast hit the dashboard. He caught a glimpse of water as the car violently stopped and his head cracked against the side window. He felt the car begin to slide as he lost consciousness.

XXXXXXX

Roy and his temporary partner, Brice, were in the squad on their way to a structure fire, the engine following close behind. In the distance, Roy saw a car pull over to the side of the road. It sat for a moment then tilted to the right and rolled over the embankment. As Brice called it in to dispatch, Roy pulled the squad over, being careful not to go onto the soft shoulder. He exited the squad as Mike pulled the engine in behind them.

Cap was out of his seat before the engine stopped. They ran to the edge of the embankment. As they peered down, they saw a station wagon slide into the water. It bobbed for a few moments then slowly started to sink. Cap called dispatch to request an additional engine. They were going to need the manpower.

Roy looked more closely as water lapped over the roof. He thought_, 'that looks like…no, it can't be…'_ His eyes widened at the realization as he turned to his superior. "Cap, that's Joanne's car! She had to take Johnny to Rampart today." Roy said stunned. Cap's brows rose as he lifted the HT up and requested an additional ambulance. He dropped the HT into his pocket and started barking out orders.

XXXXXXX

He slowly opened his eyes. _'Where am I?'_ He thought as he tried to clear the fuzzy feeling from his head. He heard water running and realized his feet were wet. The water was cold and sent a shiver down him. This caused a host of pains to make themselves known. His head felt like it was going to explode and his leg felt like it had a white hot poker in it. The rest of his body felt like he had been the punching bag for the heavyweight champion… but other than that, he was okay. _'Well at least I still have my sense of humor,'_ flitted through his brain as he tried to control the pain. He looked around trying to get his bearings. He saw a dashboard…_'a dashboard?'_ And then it all came crashing back. _'The car rolled! Oh my God! Joanne…' _he turned and looked, trying to focus his eyes.

Johnny saw that Joanne was slumped against the steering wheel. He reached for his seatbelt, fumbling until he found the clasp. He opened it and started scooting over, gasping as the pain flared. He started running his hands over her, assessing her condition. "Joanne. Joanne, wake up!" He called, but she didn't respond. He found a lump over her left ear and a small laceration on her left temple. As he continued his assessment, he continued to try to rouse her. His hands traveled down and he noted some tenderness to the left side of her ribcage. He panted as he checked her arms. There was swelling at her left wrist and Johnny thought it was probably broken. As he traveled down, he noted some tenderness where her seatbelt hit her hips. When he ran his hands down her legs, he realized the water was rising; it was now up to mid-calf. _'Where is all this water coming from?'_ he wondered. He straightened up and looked out the windshield and realized that all he could see was murky water.

XXXXXXX

Roy stood there, trying to control his emotions. Thoughts were tumbling through his head as a sudden realization hit him. "Oh my God! Jenny!" he said aloud without even realizing it.

Cap looked at him quizzically.

"Jenny has been home sick the last couple days. Joanne was going to try to make other arrangements…but if she couldn't, she was going to take Jenny with her."

Cap grabbed his HT and called in to dispatch. He requested they call Roy's house to see if anyone answered. A few moments later, dispatch reported the neighbor was there with Jenny. There was a collective sigh of relief.

Cap and Roy stood at the edge, assessing the situation. The embankment was steep with a small area at the bottom; they could stage the second part of the rescue from there. "This bank doesn't look too stable. We'll have to run lines down." Cap said as he ordered Mike to pull the engine closer.

Marco and Chet readied the lines while Roy and Brice ran to the squad to get their belts and other equipment they would need. Roy struggled to remain calm, his fingers fumbled with the buckles. Brice put his hand on top of Roy's and bent his head to make eye contact. "We'll get them out, don't worry DeSoto." Roy gave Brice a small smile and said, "Thanks Craig." He buckled up, pulled out a pry bar and looked at Brice. They nodded to each other and went over to the engine.

Marco and Chet helped them hook on to the lines then rechecked the rigging. When everything was ready, Cap gave them a nod to proceed and said, "As soon as the other engine company arrives, we'll be down." Roy acknowledged his captain. With equipment in hand, they started down the embankment.

XXXXXXX

Johnny tried to control the panic that was threatening to overwhelm him as he contemplated what to do. He knew that a rescue was under way, but he did not know if there would be enough time. Water rescues generally took a long time to set up. Once the water inside rose above the windows, he was not sure if he would have enough strength to break them. The water was rising fast; it was already just below his knees. He knew that they would have to get out of the car, and soon. He slid closer to Joanne and tried to rouse her. Gently taking her face between his hands, he slapped her lightly on the cheek. "C'mon Joanne. Joanne!" Her eyelids fluttered and then she opened her eyes.

"Wha…what happened?" She asked confused.

"We rolled over the side of the road. We're gonna be okay." Johnny said as soothingly as he could. He didn't want to tell her about the water until she was better oriented. "How do you feel?" He watched carefully for her reaction. He saw her brows knit as she thought about his question.

"Mmm. My head hurts." Joanne responded as she closed her eyes. Her head felt like it had cotton in it. She started to raise her left hand towards her head, she winced and said, "My arm hurts…and my side is sore."

"I need you to stay awake, Joanne." Johnny said forcefully as he squeezed her shoulders. Joanne reluctantly opened her eyes. Johnny watched as her eyes started to wander. He tightened his grip in preparation for her reaction when she looked down at the water lapping over the seat. He saw her eyes widen as he said, "Its okay. We're gonna get out of here, but I'm gonna need your help. Can you do that?"

Joanne nodded hesitantly as she wondered how they would get out. Maybe they could just wait. After all, surely the squad had seen them roll. She started to shiver as the icy water continued to rise.

Johnny searched around looking for anything he could use to break the window. When he couldn't find anything, he looked over at Joanne to ask if she knew of anything they could use. Her eyes were half-closed and her body trembled with the cold. He reached over to shake her as he said, "Joanne! Joanne! Stay with me." When he saw that he had her attention, he asked, "Do you have anything I can use to break the window? A heavy flashlight or any sort of tools…uh…a wrench…or a screwdriver?"

Joanne still felt a little fuzzy but she concentrated on Johnny's question, trying to think of anything that might be in the car. She finally shook her head.

"Joanne, I'm gonna break the window. When I do that, the water is gonna rush in. We'll take a couple of deep breaths and then we'll climb out the window and swim to the surface. Do you understand?" he questioned.

"Y-yes. Y-yes I do. W-w-what are you going to use?"

As he contemplated what he was about to do Johnny took a deep breath and said, "Trust me, you don't want to know. You ready?"


	2. Chapter 2

**An Act of Friendship**

**Chapter 2**

The trek down the hill proved long and arduous for Roy and Brice. The rain made the ground slick and treacherous, causing their feet to slip and throwing them off balance. As they descended, Roy went over scenarios in his head, trying to mentally prepare himself. By the time they reached the bottom, he wanted to scream in frustration.

They unhooked their belts and Roy ran to the side of the river as Brice looked for someplace suitable to tie the ropes off. Roy scanned the water until he saw the faint outline of the car's roof. The car seemed to be resting about 15 feet down. While Brice started setting up the ropes, Roy reported the situation to Cap on the HT.

Marco and Chet arrived carrying more ropes and equipment in a stokes. They quickly went to work helping Brice to secure the lines as Roy set up the medical equipment. Roy continued to scan the river occasionally, knowing his partner he wouldn't be surprised if they popped up at any time. Roy and Brice had just finished tying off when Mike and Cap arrived with another stokes.

Cap came over and placed his hand on Roy's shoulder as he said, "Be careful out there."

Roy nodded once then walked over to join Brice at the side of the river. They looked over at Cap, awaiting his 'go ahead'. When Cap nodded, they lowered themselves into the river.

XXXXXXX

As Joanne nodded her head, Johnny positioned himself. He turned sideways on the seat, leaned back on his elbows and rested his feet briefly on the window. He felt a pop in his side as he took a deep breath and pulled his legs back. He heard, 'Don't Johnny!' as he kicked the glass as hard as he could. Pain exploded in his leg, overwhelming him as the glass spider webbed and water began trickling in. Joanne reached over and pulled him closer as he trembled and moaned. Johnny fought to stay conscious as the cracks grew and the water began pouring in. He rolled sideways and lost the contents of his stomach.

Joanne was shocked. She hadn't expected Johnny to break the glass with his feet. As he vomited, she held his head and said, "Johnny! My God…are you okay?" When he was done, she leaned him back against her as he shook with pain. The water was now up to their chests. Joanne felt a flash of panic as she wondered if she could do this.

Johnny knew they had to get moving. He carefully sat up, fighting the pain. "Okay Joanne. Get ready. I'm gonna get the glass out the rest of the way. Then I want you to crawl across me. Take a few deep breaths and climb out. Okay?" He waited for her nod before he smacked the glass with his casted arm. The window broke into big chunks and the force of the water helped him accomplish the rest of the task. Johnny ran his cast along the edges of the window, making sure there weren't any big shards left. He looked at Joanne and said, "Ready?" The water level was now up to the bottom of the window.

Joanne gave a nod and crawled over Johnny. She took a couple of deep breaths then held her breath. Water was gushing through the window as she placed her hands on the sides of the window. Crouching on the seat she pushed herself against the torrent of water. The water briefly pushed her backwards. Trying again, she pushed off more forcefully with her feet. When she pushed off, she misjudged the height and her head cracked against the window frame. As she lost consciousness, her body fell back towards Johnny.

Johnny saw Joanne's body go limp. He grasped her arm and turned her. She was now floating in the water, which was almost to the top of the window frame. Johnny knew they were running out of time. He slapped her face, but she didn't respond. He was going to have to get her out.

Johnny positioned himself next to the window. He would go first and pull her out. Once his legs were out of the window, he pulled Joanne so her head was resting against his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and placed the heel of his hand under her chin. Taking a couple of deep, painful breaths, he held the last one as he pinched her nose and backed them out of the window.

As soon as he knew Joanne had cleared the window, Johnny started kicking his legs and using his casted arm to propel them to the surface. Pain shot up the broken leg and he almost cried out. He kicked as hard as he could, but they were barely moving. He hadn't anticipated the weight of his casts.

XXXXXXX

Roy slipped into the water and shivered. _'Man that's cold.' _He heard Brice's quick intake of breath as he, apparently, thought so too. He looked back at Cap to get his bearings then turned and headed in the direction of the car.

It was difficult to tell exactly where the car was from this angle. Roy swam to where he thought it should be and then glanced back for confirmation from his captain. When he received a nod, he waited until Brice caught up to him.

Roy looked at Brice. "You ready?" he questioned. Brice nodded and they dove beneath the surface. The water was slightly murky, which hampered their vision, but as they descended they could make out the roof of the vehicle.

Roy scanned the area. As he approached the driver's side of the car, he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned and saw Johnny struggling to swim with something in his arms. It took Roy a moment to realize that it was his wife Johnny was holding.

Roy swam over to Johnny and tried to pull Joanne out of his grasp, but Johnny wouldn't release his hold.

Johnny, struggling desperately to get to the surface, was unaware of Roy. Pain was slowly working its way into his awareness. He was running out of air quickly and his only thought was of saving Joanne.

Trying a different tactic, Roy swam right in front of him and put his hand on Johnny's chin while establishing eye contact. He could see the pain and desperation in Johnny's eyes followed by recognition and relief. They nodded to each other then Roy replaced Johnny's hand on Joanne's chin and nose. As Brice arrived, he pulled Joanne from Johnny's grasp and headed for the surface.

Johnny's lungs burned as his endurance faded. Knowing that Joanne was taken care of, the adrenaline that had sustained him departed. He felt someone grab him around the chest and involuntarily gasped when pain engulfed him. As water filled his mouth and nose, panic set in. He struggled against his unknown captor but couldn't break loose from the unrelenting hands. He needed to get to the surface and breathe, now. He started coughing and his body went limp as his vision tunneled to a pinpoint and he lost the battle to stay conscious.

Roy broke the surface of the water and let go of Joanne's nose and chin. Immediately she started breathing on her own, he sighed in relief. He then checked her pulse, it was thready and weak. Chet and Marco started reeling them in while he tried to get a response from her.

They were about halfway to shore, when he heard Brice shout, "Pull me in quick!" Roy glanced back and saw Brice begin rescue breathing on Johnny.

Mike and Cap heard Brice's command and started pulling quickly.

Chet and Marco reached down and pulled Joanne onto the bank. As Roy scrambled out of the water, they carried her over and laid her on a yellow blanket. Chet ran to help Cap and Mike as Roy began his assessment.

Marco set up the oxygen, "How much?" he asked.

Roy lifted his hand from Joanne's abdomen. "6 liters."

Marco adjusted the rate and placed the mask on Joanne's face. He moved over to the biophone. "Rampart, this is Squad 51. How do you read?"

"Squad 51, we read you loud and clear." Dixie's husky voice responded.

"Rampart, we have two victims of a car accident with entrapment underwater. The first victim has been extricated, vital signs will follow. Rampart, victim is Joanne DeSoto. The second victim is still being extricated. Victim is John Gage."

Hearing the names of the victims, Dixie was stunned. She knew Johnny had an appointment with Kel this morning. "10-4 51, we'll be standing by," she replied as she picked up the phone to call Kel.

Roy relayed Joanne's vital signs to Marco, who wrote them down. He gave a sigh of relief, when he noted her pupils were equal and reactive but a little sluggish.

Running his hands around her head, Roy called out his findings. "Marco, can you get a 4 by 4 on that laceration?" he asked as he placed a cervical collar around her neck.

Roy's hands traveled across her shoulders and down her arms where he noted the swollen wrist. He had Marco splint it as he continued his assessment. When his hands pressed on her ribs, her eyelids fluttered and she moaned.

"Joanne. Joanne, wake up honey." Roy called as he checked her abdomen, nothing. He ran his hands down her legs, thankful that he didn't find anything. He looked up into beautiful green eyes and smiled. "How are you feeling?"

"C…cold…and my h…head hurts." Joanne replied with a grimace as she shivered. She blinked heavily trying to clear the fog in her head.

Marco opened a blanket pack and laid it on her as she gave him a soft smile and murmured 'thanks.'

Roy moved over to the biophone. "Rampart, this is Squad 51, victim one's vitals are BP 100/70, pulse 40 weak and thready, respirations 12. Victim has a laceration to the left temple, contusion with lump over the left ear, and forehead. Pupils are equal and reactive but sluggish. Possible wrist fracture. Marked tenderness to the left side of the ribcage. Mild hypothermia is present."

Brackett's deep voice responded. "10-4 51. Start an IV, D5WTKO. Splint the wrist. Full spinal precautions. Keep her warm and get her in here as soon as possible."

Kelly Brackett's mouth twitched as he looked into Dixie's concerned blue eyes. "Dix, get Joe. I want him to look over Joanne." He saw her nod and walk down the hall as he waited for word on Johnny.

Marco brought over the backboard. As they log rolled Joanne onto it, Mike and Chet pulled Johnny onto the bank.

Mike ran for the BVM as Chet immediately started rescue breathing. Cap helped Brice onto shore then they picked Johnny up and carried him over to the other blanket. As they set him down, Mike placed the mask over Johnny's mouth and began bagging him.

Marco tucked a second blanket around Joanne as Roy pulled out an IV set up.

Brice grabbed the stethoscope and listened to Johnny's chest. After a few moments he looked over at Cap and relayed, "diminished breath sounds on the right with bilateral rales present." He grabbed an intubation kit.

"Rampart, this is 51, victim two has been extricated and is in respiratory arrest from near drowning. Diminished breath sounds on the right, bilateral rales present."

"10-4 51, intubate. Hook him up to a monitor and send me a strip."

"10-4 Rampart." Cap responded as he saw Roy tape down Joanne's IV and Brice tilt Johnny's head back.

Brice inserted the airway. Mike attached the BVM to the tube and bagged him as Brice moved down to check the placement of the airway. He gave a quick nod and began his assessment as Chet attached the leads.

Marco and Roy placed the backboard in the stokes and tightened the straps around Joanne.

Brice called out vital signs to Cap. He noted the contusion on Johnny's head and checked his pupils. He moved down. "Chet, get a C-collar on him." He directed as he checked Johnny's arms.

"Rampart, 51. This will be lead two."

'_What a mess.'_ Brice thought as he ran his hand over the cracked, sodden cast. He heard Brackett's 'normal sinus rhythm' as he ran his hands over Johnny's ribs, they shifted. _'Not good.'_ He reported his findings as he checked the abdomen then moved to the legs.

Roy called, "Meet you at Rampart," as he, Marco, and two guys from 36s lifted the stokes and started up the hill.

Cap acknowledged with a nod as he moved out of Brice's way.

"Rampart, this is Squad 51. Victim two's vitals are BP 90/60, pulse 150, respirations 12 assisted. Victim has a contusion on the right side of the head. Pupils are equal and reactive but sluggish. Rib fractures with movement. Broken casts on previously fractured arm and leg." Brice relayed.

"10-4 51. IV D5W wide open. Full spinal precautions. Get him in here and watch his breath sounds and heart rate."

Brackett turned to Dixie. "Set up a chest tube tray. Have 4 units of blood ready. Call Mitchellson from Respiratory and I want an OR on standby."

"10-4 Rampart." Cap replied then packed up the biophone as Chet and Brice log rolled Johnny onto the backboard.


	3. Chapter 3

**An Act of Friendship**

**Chapter 3**

Roy found the trip up the embankment to be no easier than the trip down. Their feet sank in the mud repeatedly as it threatened to trap their shoes. Several times Joanne grunted as one of them faltered and the stokes lurched.

"R...Roy, where's J…Johnny?" Joanne questioned.

Roy looked down; he thought she still looked cold. He tucked the blanket more securely around her as he replied, "Don't worry Brice and the guys are bringing him up behind us." Thankful that she hadn't realized how serious Johnny's condition was.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Roy checked Joanne as they crested the top of the hill. The crew from 36s helped them load the gurney onto the stretcher and into the ambulance.

Marco closed the ambulance doors and gave two quick pats. He bowed his head and said a silent prayer for his friend as the ambulance pulled away then he went to help the guys from 36s.

Cap thought the trip up the hill would never end. Brice made them stop several times when Johnny's heart rate became irregular. When it stabilized, they resumed their arduous journey. It was frustrating as he just wanted to get his man to Rampart.

Roy had just updated Rampart on Joanne's condition when he looked down and saw sleepy green eyes peering at him. "How are you feeling sweetheart?" He could see it took a few moments for Joanne to process.

"N…Not as cold, but my head is killing me. Are those sirens always this loud?"

Roy chuckled as he nodded his head. "Don't worry, we'll be there soon," he replied as he squeezed her hand.

Brice called a halt as soon as they crested the hill. He did a vitals check and relayed it to Rampart. Chet took over ventilations from Mike as they loaded Johnny into the ambulance and headed out.

As soon as the ambulance started moving, Brice grabbed two IVs and shoved them down his shirt. When he saw Chet's questioning look, he answered, "Johnny's hypothermic. I'm trying to warm these to help bring his body temperature up." He felt Johnny's arm and abdomen then opened another blanket pack and tucked it around him.

Cap went over to Captain Morris from 36s and thanked him for his help. With all their gear away, he swung up into his seat. "Alright Mike, let's go." He rubbed his hand over his face. _'C'mon John, keep fighting. You can do it son,'_ he thought, recalling John's resilience to adversity in the past.

Dixie was waiting at the emergency entrance as Roy unloaded the stretcher. She walked them down the hall. "Joanne, I know I told you to see me when you were in today, but isn't this a bit much?" she teased.

Joanne smiled as they wheeled her into the treatment room where Joe was waiting. She was quickly transferred to the treatment table. When she closed her eyes because the bright lights were hurting them, she heard Roy's 'Stay awake Joanne.' "I'm awake. It's too bright." She shivered when Dixie whipped off the blankets and started cutting her clothes off.

Roy made his report to Joe as he changed out the oxygen supplies. He set aside the squad's equipment then took another set of vitals as Joe ordered blood work and x-rays.

Warm, toasty blankets settled on Joanne and she murmured, "Thanks," to Dixie.

"Joanne, can you tell me what happened?" Joe enquired as he pulled out his pen light.

"I, uh, was bringing Johnny here for his checkup." Joanne winced as Joe flashed the penlight in her eyes. "I remember hearing sirens… so I pulled to the side of the road. Um…the car tilted…" Her brows creased as she struggled to remember. "The next thing I remember was waking up in the car and…and we were in the water." Her breathing increased as she remembered. Joe stepped back to allow Roy to move in closer.

"Joanne…Joanne, you're safe." Roy patted her shoulder soothingly.

"Oh…oh God, Roy. Where's Johnny? Is he okay?"

"We got Johnny. Brice is bringing him in." he said as he tried to allay Joanne's fears without divulging too much information.

"Roy, he kicked the glass with both feet…his broken leg…he was in so much pain…he…he threw up. Then he smacked the glass with his broken arm to get it open the whole way." Joanne started to cry. "He hurt so bad, but he wouldn't stop."

"Joanne. Joanne, you need to calm down." Roy stroked her cheek. He was finding it hard to listen to Joanne's account of what happened. _'Oh Johnny, that must've hurt like hell.'_ He thought as he realized how much Johnny had endured to help Joanne.

Assured of Joanne's mental status, Joe stepped in. "Joanne, let's get you taken care of." He said smiling kind heartedly. When she had calmed down, he continued his exam. She groaned when he palpated her ribs. "Little tender?" he questioned. He pressed more firmly as she nodded. He looked over at Roy as he said, "I don't think they're broken but x-rays will tell us for sure." He finished his assessment as the portable was wheeled in. He squeezed Joanne's arm gently. "We'll be right back." He said as he ushered Dixie and Roy out of the room.

As they approached the base station, they heard Brackett question, "What's your ETA?"

"Rampart, ETA is 3 minutes."

"10-4, 51." Brackett responded, his mouth twitching. He glanced up and said, "Roy, I was just coming to find you. Johnny should be here shortly. I'm positive he has a collapsed lung and I have Bill Mitchellson coming. He's the best pulmonologist we have. I'm going to need your permission for surgery."

"Of course Doc. Do what you've got to do." Roy worriedly responded.

"Roy, do you know how long he was without air?"

Roy shook his head. "No Doc. He had Joanne and was trying to swim to the surface. She was unconscious. I took her out of his arms and headed up. Brice stayed to help him. By the time they surfaced, Johnny wasn't breathing."

Brackett folded his arms and said, "Thanks Roy."

"Oh Doc."

"Yes?"

"Joanne said that Johnny broke the window by kicking it. She said he threw up and she also said he swung his cast at the window."

Brackett frowned when heard this news. "Thanks Roy. I'll make sure to have Ortho on standby. Dix, can you give them a call? Also, get x-ray."

As Dixie nodded and reached for the phone, the stretcher carrying Johnny came around the corner.

"He's in V-tach" reported Brice as Brackett ran over. They pushed him into a treatment room.

Roy started to follow, but Dixie grabbed his arm. "No Roy, you know you're too close. Besides, Joanne will need you when x-ray is done." Dixie smiled. "Don't worry; we'll take good care of him," she said as she went into the treatment room."

Roy blew out a frustrated breath. He knew Dixie was right, but he really felt the need to make sure Johnny was okay.

Joe walked over to Roy and patted his shoulder. "C'mon. Let's go get some coffee while we wait for x-ray." As they headed for the doctor's lounge, Chet walked down the hallway. "How's Joanne?" He questioned as he shifted from foot to foot.

"She'll be okay Chet. X-rays in with her now." Roy replied as he opened the door.

Chet nodded. _'One down…now just one to go. Damn Gage looked bad,'_ he thought as he followed them into the room.

Before Johnny's transfer to the treatment table was complete, Brackett began barking orders. "100 mg bolus Procainamide over 5 minutes, STAT. I want an ABG, CBC, BUN, Creatinine and electrolytes. Let's get x-ray in here STAT. I want a full skull series, lateral c-spine, chest, back, and that right arm and leg as well. Start him on Penicillin. Anchor a Foley"

Dixie tousled Johnny's hair softly. _'What are we going to do with you, Tiger?'_ she thought as she whipped off the cold, wet blankets and started cutting off Johnny's clothes.

"Brice, help me move him." Kel requested. They positioned Johnny, head hanging slightly over the edge of the table, and Kel replaced the tube with an esophageal airway. As a nurse hooked up the ventilator, he said, "I want humidified oxygen. Dix, get a core temperature."

Dixie finished cutting off Johnny's clothes and, with Brice's help, log rolled Johnny. _'I am so glad you're not awake for this. I'd never hear the end of it,'_ Dixie thought as she inserted the rectal thermometer.

Kel listened closely to Johnny's lungs, checking the tube placement. "Where's x-ray? I need that chest film STAT." He looked up as the door opened, Bill Mitchellson walked in. Kel briefly explained Johnny's case. Bill agreed that a chest tube was needed, now. They couldn't afford to wait for Johnny to warm up and stabilize.

"Kel, his temp is 92.7." Dixie stated as Kel frowned, that temperature had to come up.

Let's get ready for that chest tube," he replied as Dixie retrieved the chest tube tray and positioned it next to him.

Dixie prepped and draped Johnny as Kel and Bill scrubbed then donned gowns and masks.

Kel sited the mid-axillary line for tube placement as Bill numbed the area. With swift, sure hands Kel inserted the chest tube, sutured it, and attached it to the Pleurevac. "Breath sounds are returning," he said with relief as he listened to Johnny's chest. "Let's give him 10 mg. MS," he said to the other nurse.

Dixie added another warmed blanket as an x-ray tech pushed in the portable. She exited, followed by Kel and Bill. They walked slowly to the doctor's lounge.

Chet popped up like a jack-in-the-box the moment the door opened. "Doc, how is he?" He questioned before anyone could say anything.

Roy rolled his eyes_. 'Yeah, you don't care about Johnny. Keep dreaming pal.'_

Kel suppressed a smile before answering. "It's really too soon to tell. We're still stabilizing him."

Chet's brow creased as he nodded. He sat down as Roy worriedly asked, "Does he still need surgery?"

"Until his heart rate settles, I'd rather not risk surgery. I placed a chest tube, which has helped some, but I really need to get in there and repair his lung."

"Any idea how long that will be?" Roy questioned.

"As you know Roy, hypothermia can cause tachycardia, or in layman's terms, a rapid heart rate. His core temp when he was brought in was just under 93. We're giving him humidified oxygen and warmed IVs to bring his temp up. As he warms up, his heart rate should settle into normal sinus rhythm. How long that will be, though, is anyone's guess." Roy was not happy with this news. "Don't worry Roy. We're monitoring him closely and we'll take him to surgery as soon as we can."

By the end of Kel's explanation, Roy looked like he had been sucker punched and Chet was chewing worriedly on the corner of his mustache. Trying to lighten the mood, Dixie asked, "How's Joanne?"

Joe stood up to leave as someone knocked on the door. The door opened slightly and Cap's head popped in.

"I didn't see anyone around and thought I'd check in here." he said sheepishly as he pushed the door open. He entered the room followed by Mike and Marco. "How are Joanne and Johnny?" He questioned as he pulled a seat out next to Chet and sat down.

Joe said, "Roy, I'm going to go check on Joanne. I'll tell her you'll be in after you talk to your captain." As Roy nodded, he sketched a quick wave and left. Mike and Marco pulled chairs from other tables and sat.

Rubbing his hands, Roy looked down, "Joanne is okay Cap. We're still waiting for x-rays, but she's awake…a little cold, but…"

"Thank God." Cap said as he smiled. "What about Johnny?"

"If you'll excuse me gentleman, I'm going to check on Johnny." Kel interrupted as he stood. Dixie stood and grabbed their cups and put them in the sink. Cap gave a nod that said 'take care of my man' to Kel as he held the door for Dixie. Kel gave an acknowledging nod and they left.


	4. Chapter 4

**An Act of Friendship**

**Chapter 4**

Cap looked back over at Roy, giving him his undivided attention.

Roy hesitantly said, "Johnny's not doing as well. He has hypothermia from the cold water. It's made his heartbeat irregular. Brackett's certain he has a collapsed lung and needs to operate, but he wants to wait until Johnny's heart rate is closer to normal. He put a chest tube in to help his breathing some…so right now it's just a waiting game."

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Cap absently rubbed the back of his neck. Chet sat with one leg bouncing up and down, looking at the floor. Marco closed his eyes and bowed his head, saying a prayer for his friend. Mike stood up and turned to the coffee pot, dumped the contents and started a new pot. Roy sighed and looked at his hands.

Into the uneasy silence walked Brice. He looked around at the group of men who were known throughout the department for their closeness and loyalty and knew that Gage was not doing well. "How is he?" he questioned.

Roy stood up as he said, "Cap, can you fill Craig in? I need to get back to Joanne."

"Roy, before you go, headquarters is sending a replacement for you. We'll stay available from here as long as we can."

"Thanks Cap." He said as he nodded then left. When he walked into the treatment room, Joe was standing at the light box looking at x-rays. He walked up to Joanne, who looked like she was sleeping, and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. She opened her eyes and smiled.

Joe walked over and said, "Good news Joanne. You're ribs are just bruised. We'll tape them up to give you some extra support. You do have a mild concussion…nothing to worry about, but you'll be our guest for a couple days. Also, you do have a fractured wrist. Ortho will be down shortly to cast it. I'm also going to start you an antibiotic, as a preventative." Joe smiled kindly at her. "All things considered, you were really very lucky."

Joanne smiled back, "Ohhh, a mini-vacation…no kids…no housework…no cooking. Thanks Dr. Early….uh…" she hesitated. "Dr. Early, how's Johnny?"

"Kel's in with him now Joanne. You know he's getting the best of care."

Roy squeezed her shoulder. "How's the pain honey?"

Joanne rolled her eyes. "Roy William DeSoto, I have given birth to two children…naturally. I think I can manage a little headache."

Roy desperately wanted to tease Joanne that she sounded just like Johnny, but didn't dare.

Joe laughed and shook his head. "Well that may be true Joanne, but I think I should give you a little something. When Ortho gets here to set your wrist, I'm sure you'll be glad I did." He said as he drew up a syringe.

"I didn't think of that." Joanne admitted sheepishly. She felt something cold enter her IV line and then she felt like she was floating.

Kel walked over to Johnny and stood over him, looking. _'What have you done to yourself now hose jockey?'_ He shook his head then asked, "What's his core temperature now?"

"93.8 Doctor," replied one of the nurses.

'_C'mon Johnny, you need to warm up.'_ He thought, sighing as he looked over Johnny's chart. He set the chart down and looked at his most recent EKG. _'Damn, you're still not stable enough. I know you like to be stubborn, but give us poor doctors a break.'_ He frowned as his frustration grew.

Dixie took one glance at Kel and said, "Not good?"

Kel shook his head as he replied, "His core temp hasn't risen as quickly as I'd have liked it to; and he's still showing V-tach, but not as frequently. Nurse?" He looked over at the other nurse. "Has he shown any signs of consciousness?"

"He groaned once, about a minute ago but other than that, no doctor."

As if on cue, Johnny groaned.

"Johnny. Johnny can you hear me?" Kel prodded.

_He thought he heard voices…then…_

_Pain... _

_No, he couldn't get away from it. His chest felt like it had been ripped apart, but at the same time had a fire burning in it. 'Oh Spirits…stop!' he thought. He tried to scream, but something was jammed down his throat. He felt tears trickle down into his hair. With great effort he managed to open his eyes. Someone was standing over him. He knew he should know who it was, but he just couldn't figure it out. He saw their mouth move, but couldn't seem to understand what they were saying._

"Kel, his heart rate is increasing." Dixie said warningly.

"15 mgs. Diazepam, STAT." Kel barked. He considered his next directive. He really didn't want to depress Johnny's breathing further, but he had to manage the pain. "Also, give him another 10 mgs. MS."

_He felt an icy coldness travel up his arm…then… _

_nothing._

Dixie and Kel watched the heart monitor with baited breath. When it finally started to settle down, they breathed a sigh of relief.

"He sure is giving us a run for our money." Kel stated as he checked the chest tube. A technician opened the door and handed Dixie a packet of x-rays. Dixie followed Kel over to the light box and handed them to him. He pulled out the first film and started studying them.

"Doesn't he always?" Dixie teased as she walked over to Johnny. She knew she wasn't supposed to have favorites, but she did; and one of them was right in front of her. She gently wiped the tears off his face then stroked his cheek before she set about taking a new set of vitals. "Kel his temp is up to 94.2," she reported.

"A little bit more and we'll be able to take him up."

Joanne had finally fallen asleep, and for that Roy was glad. She needed her rest. He stood stroking her cheek as he looked at the woman who meant more to him than his own life. He knew he could have easily lost her today. How quickly things could change. He truly could not imagine his life without Joanne. He shivered as emotions coursed through him. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked over through watery eyes at Joe.

"Roy, why don't you go take a break. Joanne's fine and Ortho will be here soon. Go on." Joe said gently. He felt bad for his friend as he couldn't imagine what he was going through.

Roy hesitated but Joe gave him a friendly nudge. He gave Joanne a kiss on the forehead then reluctantly left. He went to the payphones to let Mrs. Harrison know what was going on. She told him not to worry; she would take care of Jenny and Chris. After that, he wanted some coffee but knew that Cap and the guys would be there. He was feeling a little too raw, so he decided to go wash his face and pull himself together first.

As he was washing his face he started thinking about Johnny, replaying the accident in his head. Suddenly, he realized that he really needed to see his friend, he didn't care what anyone said. That decided, he quickly dried off and headed for Johnny's room. He quietly slipped into the room.

Kel was looking over Johnny's x-rays. He crossed his arms and tsked as he looked at the one of Johnny's leg. He heard a gasp and whipped around. "Roy…I didn't realize you were here."

"Sorry, I snuck in." Roy replied unabashedly.

"Don't be. I was just going over Johnny's x-rays," he was going to go over some of his findings, but he could see that Roy couldn't take his eyes off his partner. "He should be ready for surgery within the next 30 minutes," he said as Roy's head snapped up with a pained look on his face. "Why don't you visit for a few minutes and then I'll be back to go over his x-rays," he offered. At Roy's grateful nod, he motioned to Dixie and the other nurse and they left the treatment room.

Roy stood there stunned. He couldn't believe how bad Johnny looked. He had seen his partner too many times to count, injured, but this was somehow different. He looked so small and insubstantial lying there, even with the half a dozen blankets on him. The myriad tubes and hoses that snaked out from underneath the blankets were daunting. He glanced at all the monitors, reading them with ease.

When he was satisfied, he turned and focused on his friend. Johnny's hair was wild looking, standing up in tufts all over his head. His skin was pale and waxen looking, except for the bruise that was blossoming near his temple; his eyes looked sunken and bruised. _'Oh Junior, I am so sorry. I wish you had waited for us,'_ he thought as he snaked his hand under the blanket. He found Johnny's hand, it was icy cold. His other hand he rested on the top of Johnny's head. "Hey you, what are you doing getting yourself all banged up again. If you wanted to stay longer at my house, all you had to do was ask…but seriously Johnny, Joanne is fine…thanks to you. I don't know what I would've done if something happened to her. I owe you one. You made sure I didn't have to find out. I know we don't usually talk like this. And, quite honestly, if you weren't unconscious, we probably wouldn't be talking like this. I just needed you to know how thankful I am."

Roy felt a little lighter after their conversation. He leaned down close to Johnny's ear and whispered, "You keep fighting Junior," as he gave a pat to Johnny's head. He straightened back up just as Kel opened the door.

"Roy, why don't we go to my office to review the x-rays? They have to start getting Johnny prepped."

"Okay Doc." Roy responded. He glanced back once at his friend, then followed Kel to his office. "Doc, do you know if Cap and the guys are still here?"

Kel shook his head. "No, they got called to a house fire awhile ago. He said they'd try to stop again when they get a chance." Kel said as he ushered Roy into his office. "Coffee?" he asked even though he'd already started pouring Roy a cup. He handed it to Roy and then perched on the corner of his desk.

Roy took a sip and let the warm liquid soothe him. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Before we start talking about Johnny, I wanted to let you know that I checked in on Joanne. She looks good. She's one lucky lady."

"Yeah, that's what Dr. Early said and thanks for checking on her."

"Anytime, Roy. Now, on to your wayward partner." Kel smiled kindly at Roy as he crossed his arms. "The x-rays confirm there is no skull fracture." Roy gave a relieved sigh. "His right arm is still healing nicely. All we'll need to do is recast it." Kel looked down and pursed his lips. "The chests x-rays showed hairline fractures of two of his ribs, and complete fractures of two more. One of these I believe has punctured the lung."

Roy sat up straighter in his chair. "Will you have any trouble repairing them?"

"No, repairing the ribs should be pretty straightforward. As you know, we'll have to wait to see how much damage the lung has received. The leg, unfortunately, is a bit of a mess. His fibula has a linear fracture and the previous fracture to his tibia—has now comminuted. We're going to have to do an open reduction to repair it."

A brow puckered as Roy asked, "Could this be career-ending, Doc?"

"I can't say for certain, but I don't believe so." Kel rubbed his chin, absently. "What it will mean, is extended physical therapy to rehabilitate it. I'm sorry, Roy."

Roy pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to assimilate this information. Kel quietly waited. He knew how close Roy and Johnny were and realized what a blow this was to Roy. He started to stand as Dixie opened the door and said, "Kel, we're taking Johnny up now."

Dixie gave Roy a sympathetic smile then left.

Kel walked over and put a hand on Roy's shoulder. "Don't worry Roy. We'll do our best. I'll come find you when we're done." He squeezed his shoulder once and walked out the door.

Roy walked out of Brackett's office and saw Johnny's gurney being wheeled into the elevator surrounded by a host of medical professionals. He rubbed his hand through his hair and headed for the treatment room.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N – Just a little holiday bonus, enjoy the weekend.

**An Act of Friendship**

**Chapter 5**

When he opened the door, Joanne looked at him and smiled. She now had a fresh, white cast on her left arm. "Boy, this thing's heavy." She slurred as she waved it up and down. "You better be sure you're on your best behavior."

Roy chuckled as he walked over and kissed her forehead. "I'll keep that in mind."

"You better. Cause now I have a loaded weapon, just like you." She grinned suggestively.

Roy reddened.

Joanne ran her casted arm up Roy's chest and tried to finger walk to his buttons. "C'mere and give your wife a kissey poo, Mister." She tried to sit up, but Roy gently pushed her down.

Roy heard Joe's snicker as he tried to disentangle Joanne's hand from his shirt. As a paramedic he was more than aware of the effects different drugs had on people, but did it have to be his wife who reacted this way. He ran a hand through his hair. "I see your feeling pretty good."

"Yeah, I feel wunnerful." Joanne slurred with a dopey smile on her face. Her eyes started to droop. Roy put her casted arm down by her side and kissed both of her eyelids then told her to sleep.

Joe had an amused grin on his face as he walked over. "As you can see, I just gave her a little more MS for the transfer."

"I hadn't noticed." Roy deadpanned.

Joe chuckled, "We'll be moving her up to a room shortly. Why don't you go and grab something to eat Roy?"

Roy shook his head, "That's okay, I'm really not hungry."

Joe came closer and put his hand on Roy's shoulder. "When was the last time you ate?" he asked as he cocked a brow.

"Breakfast," he replied as two orderlies entered with a gurney.

"Roy, what time do you think it is?"

Roy frowned and scratched his temple. "I honestly don't know," he admitted.

"Well, I'll tell you. It's almost 3 o'clock. Now, do I have to give you the 'you need to keep up your strength' speech?"

Roy was about to counter when the door opened and his captain, face sooty and smelling of smoke, strode in.

Before anyone could say anything, Joanne half slurred and half purred, "Ohh…I smell smoke. C'mon Mister Fireman, bring over that hose and put out this fire."

Roy was mortified as Joe and Cap roared with laughter.

Finally containing himself, Cap patted Roy on the arm, "Don't worry Roy, my wife has said the same thing…or similar," Cap said smirking as he shrugged.

Roy was not sure who to be more shocked at, Joanne or Cap. He stood there slack-jawed trying to figure out what to say.

Attempting to get the conversation back on track, Joe said, "Captain Stanley, I was just telling Roy that he should go and get something to eat while Joanne is transferred up to her room."

"That's a great idea Dr. Early. C'mon Roy, let's go," Cap said as he put his hand on Roy's back and steered him toward the door.

Roy knew he was outnumbered. He frowned at Joe as he said, "Dirty pool, Doc."

Joe shrugged, "Whatever it takes my friend. Whatever it takes," he said kindly. "Oh and don't worry, we'll be easing up on the morphine."

"Thanks Doc." Roy sarcastically replied. He gave Joanne a quick kiss then grudgingly let his captain guide him out the door.

As they walked down the hall, Cap said, "Haven't had a chance to eat, so I sent the guys down to grab a table. I figured you hadn't eaten," he trailed off looking over, assessing Roy.

"Not really hungry, Cap," Roy admitted.

"I know, but you still need to eat. It's already been a long day and I can't see it ending anytime soon." Cap said sympathetically. "Besides you can bring us up to speed on Johnny."

They found the guys in the far corner of the cafeteria. As soon as Roy sat, they started peppering him with questions about Joanne and Johnny. While he relayed the information from Brackett, he ate mechanically. The food tasted like sawdust and felt like a lead balloon in his stomach. When done, they all sat lost in their own thoughts.

A while later Cap picked up his tray and stated, "Roy, we're going to head up to the waiting room. If we hear anything, we'll come find you."

As chairs squeaked and half-eaten trays were picked up Roy said, "Yeah, I want to get back to Joanne. She should be settled in her room now."

Squeezing Roy's shoulder Mike said, "Tell her we're thinking about her." The other guys nodded their agreement.

Roy got off at the second floor, giving a brief nod to Cap and the guys. He quietly entered Joanne's room to find her sound asleep. He hesitated before gently leaning down and kissing her forehead. When she didn't stir, he sat down in one of the uncomfortable chairs and gently held her hand. His eyes roamed over her beautiful face. She looked a little pale and he saw the beginnings of a bruise forming on her temple. It extended like tentacles from under the bandage on her head.

Roy cringed thinking how much worse it could have been. If not for Johnny, she could have drowned. His vision blurred as he recalled how limp she was when he took her from Johnny's arms. Other images of the accident started replaying through his mind. Trying to dispel them, he slowly stroked Joanne's arm pleased by how much warmer she now felt.

As he sat there, his thoughts drifted to his young partner. He knew the affection that Johnny held for Joanne, heck, for all his family. On several occasions Johnny had commented that Joanne was what he pictured a sister as being. Johnny didn't talk about his past much, but Roy knew that he didn't have any siblings and from what they had talked about, Roy had surmised that Johnny's childhood was troubled. Roy couldn't imagine what went through his mind when he realized they were trapped under water. The strength and resolve he employed to free them made Roy's gut clench.

He didn't know how long he sat before a nurse came in to do a neuro check. "Is it okay if I wake her?" Roy questioned the nurse. At her nod, he stood up and gently shook Joanne's shoulder, "Joanne. Joanne." Her eyes fluttered then opened slowly.

"Mmm…" Her eyes closed again.

"C'mon honey you have to wake up now," Roy said gently but firmly. She reopened her eyes, blinking slowly as she tried to wake up. "What's your name?" he questioned as the nurse started taking Joanne's vitals.

Joanne cocked one brow questioningly.

When she didn't immediately respond, Roy became concerned. Maybe her head injury was worse than they thought. "What's your name?" he repeated as his stomach started churning.

Joanne's head hurt and she was tired. She couldn't understand why Roy wouldn't know her name. She knew he hadn't been in the accident and he looked okay, maybe something had happened while she slept.

Roy was just getting ready to ask the nurse to page Dr. Early when Joanne asked, "Roy, are you alright?" Roy breathed a sigh of relief. "Yeah babe, I'm just doing a neuro check and need to know your name."

"Oh thank goodness, I thought something happened to you." Joanne said as she relaxed. She smiled at Roy, who was looking at her expectantly. "Oh…my name is Joanne DeSoto, we're at Rampart and its Friday," she replied.

A relieved smile crossed Roy's face as the nurse stepped closer and asked, "Mrs. DeSoto, how are you feeling?"

Joanne thought for a moment then said, "My head hurts and my arm aches some, but not too much."

"It's not time for your meds but if the pain becomes too unbearable, just ring the bell," the nurse replied kindly then left.

Roy leaned closer and laid his hand gently on her head, softly stroking her hair.

Joanne looked up into sky blue eyes that were slightly pinched with worry. If there was one thing Joanne DeSoto knew, it was her husband. "Roy what's wrong?" she questioned.

He didn't want to worry her, she needed her rest. "Just worried about you is all," he said as he gazed into her eyes. "For a moment there you really had me scared. I thought we missed something," he said as he smiled softly.

"Roy, I'm fine. A little battered and bruised but nothing a few days rest won't cure," she replied. She knew Roy was worried about her, but she could tell that was not all that was bothering him. She probed further, "How's Johnny?"

"He's up in surgery," Roy replied, stiffening slightly. Trying not to divulge too much he stated, "Brackett will come see us when he's done. Why don't you go back to sleep for awhile?"

Joanne knew that Roy was hiding something. Ignoring his attempt to redirect she questioned, "How bad is he?" as she leveled him with a stare. If he thought he was going to get away that easy, he had another thing coming.

Roy knew his number was up. He never could keep anything from her. He sighed, "He's pretty bad Jo. After we got to you two, he drowned. Brackett thinks he has a collapsed lung..."

Joanne's eyes widened, "Is he going to…"

"No!" Roy interrupted, he couldn't even think that way.

Joanne sighed deeply closing her eyes. She couldn't imagine the hole Johnny's loss would create in their lives. He was such an integral part of their family that they would never be the same. Shaking off the dark thoughts, she questioned, "So Brackett thinks he'll be okay?"

"He thought the lung would be pretty straightforward, but he was concerned that Johnny did some serious damage to his leg."

"Is he going to be able to go back to work?" She asked knowing how much Johnny identified himself with his job.

Roy nodded, "Brackett seems to think so but he's going to need a lot of rehabilitation."

Hearing this, Joanne visibly relaxed. "Well, I guess we'll have our houseguest a little longer than anticipated. The kids will love it…" She sat up quickly, "oh my gosh…Roy… the kids!" She looked fearfully at Roy and winced as her ribs protested the sudden movement and her head swam.

Roy eased her back down. "Don't worry honey, Mrs. Harrison picked Chris up from school and I called Eileen. She'll pick them up and they can stay with her for a few days," he reassured his wife. Roy could see she was tiring. He rubbed her cheek softly, "Why don't you try to get some sleep? It's going to be awhile before Brackett's done. Cap and the guys are up in the waiting room, they'll come get me if they need to," he said soothingly.

Joanne slowly nodded her head as her eyelids grew heavier. Roy's hand felt so good she just wanted to melt into it. Before she did, she had one point she wanted to make clear. "Roy, promise me that once I'm asleep you'll go be with the guys. I won't even know you're gone and you need to be with them."

It never ceased to amaze Roy how well his wife knew him. He thought about arguing with her, but knew he wouldn't win plus Joanne needed to rest, not get upset. "I promise," he said affection coloring his voice; "You rest now." He kissed her softly on the lips. As she drifted off to sleep, Roy mused on what a lucky man he was to have such an understanding wife.

Once he was assured that she was sleeping soundly, he quietly left the room. He stopped at the nurses' station to tell them where he would be then headed to the waiting room.


	6. Chapter 6

**An Act of Friendship**

**Chapter 6**

When Roy walked into the waiting room he was momentarily taken aback. The room was full of off-duty fireman and a few on-duty. He realized he shouldn't be, anytime one of their own was injured, the brotherhood closed ranks and provided whatever support was necessary. He was just a little baffled at how quickly word had spread. He spied Cap and Mike and made his way toward them, stopping at almost every step to receive a hand on the shoulder or pat on the back. _'Wish Johnny could see this…he'd be amazed.'_

"Anything?" Cap asked as Roy sat next to him.

Roy shook his head, "No, I would think we'd hear something soon." He looked over at Mike, who was reading the paper. "How long have you been on that page Mike?" he questioned with a smirk, already knowing the answer.

Cap chuckled softly as a blushing Mike put down the paper and replied, "Not long enough, apparently, but also too long," acknowledging that he hadn't been reading it, just marking time. He gave Roy a calculated look, "I see you're ready for some coffee, I'll go get you some…Cap you want any?" he questioned.

"Sure Mike, that sounds good," Cap replied knowing his second liked to feel useful. He watched as Mike walked out soon followed by an engineer friend of his from 110s. If any of them needed to talk, there were plenty of volunteers. Cap realized that at times like this, he couldn't ask to work in a better profession. It was a strange dichotomy; the utter depravity they saw man inflict upon man on a daily basis, and the utter humanity as demonstrated in this room.

Roy had asked the same question three times and was becoming concerned. "Cap…Cap?" Roy called reaching for Cap's arm to check his pulse.

"Oh, sorry Pal just lost in thought..." he felt Roy holding his wrist. "I'm okay Roy, really," he said flushing with embarrassment at being caught daydreaming.

Roy reluctantly let go of his captain's wrist. He would have to keep an eye on him. It had been a long stressful day on all of them. Trying to put Cap at ease he questioned, "I wondered where Marco and Chet are."

"They took an HT and went to the Chapel," Cap responded. As Roy nodded, Cap questioned, "How's Joanne?"

"She's doing pretty well. She insisted I come up here while she slept," Roy replied still stunned that his wife was able to so easily manipulate him even while in a hospital bed.

Cap chuckled. He knew Joanne was a force to be reckoned with, just like his wife, Emily. He mused that it must come from being a fireman's wife and the uncertainty of the job. "Glad to hear she's resting well," he said sincerely. "Brice and Dwyer, who's filling in for you, stopped by a little while ago; they've been run ragged today. It was kind of weird, Brice acted…I dunno…almost guilty," Cap informed Roy. He wasn't sure what to make of Brice's behavior.

Roy frowned as he asked, "Guilty? What did he say?"

Cap replied, "It wasn't so much what he said; it was how he said it and the look on his face," he shook his head. "I've tried to figure it out, but you've got me pal. I'm not sure if I'll ever understand him," he said as he shrugged.

Mike walked over and handed them their coffee, took a cup from Miller of 110s and sat down. Taking a long pull he closed his eyes and smiled contentedly. He opened his eyes, saw Cap and Roy watching him and said, "What?"

Cap and Roy snickered at how relaxed Mike now seemed. "Thanks Mike," they both responded simultaneously then laughed once again.

Stoney of 8s walked in the door and said to the room in general, "Any word?" When he saw numerous heads shake, he walked over and sat next to Mike. "Hank, guys, how's everyone holding up?" he asked as he peered intently at Johnny's shiftmates.

"We're doing okay Doug. Anxious for word on our boy," Cap responded.

"Hank, I always said that was the hardest part of our job, waiting for word on one of our own," Stoney replied sympathetically. "But don't worry 'bout Johnny-boy, he's one tough nut," Stoney chuckled then turned toward Roy, "I'm sorry to hear about your wife, Roy. I hear she's doing okay."

"Thanks Stoney. Wow…word sure travels fast," Roy replied shaking his head.

Stoney looked stunned for a moment then looked at Hank. "I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but the media has already picked up on it. Chief McConnikee called to say he's fielded several calls already. It's probably just a matter of time until they all jump on the bandwagon," he said disgustedly.

They all stiffened at this news. "Great…just what we need," Cap scowled as he ran a hand through his hair thinking of the nightmare the next few days would now be. "Damn vultures," he spat.

"Don't they have better things to do?" Mike asked incensed.

Roy sat quietly, his anger rising. If they thought for one second he would let them talk to Joanne, they had another thing coming. Hell if Johnny wasn't hurt so badly, they wouldn't give two figs about the accident in the first place. He could just imagine their excuse that this was a 'human interest' story as a means of justifying their sure to be appalling behavior.

As he sat stewing, Chet and Marco walked in and sat down. Cap informed them of Stoney's news.

"Madre de Dios," Marco mumbled shaking his head.

"Geez Cap, can't they leave us alone? C'mon they should at least have the decency to respect when people are hurt," Chet announced. He stood up and started pacing.

Cap sighed heavily and stood up, saying, "I'd better call the Chief. Thanks for the heads up Stoney."

Stoney nodded an acknowledgement. As Cap walked out the door, Stoney looked over at Chet, who was pacing like a caged animal. Tension was rolling off him and, by the looks on the faces of those within close proximity, starting to affect them as well. "Chet, why don't you come sit down and I'll tell you about that fire over on Sepulveda this morning," Stoney offered trying to diffuse some of the tension.

Chet stopped in his tracks and leveled a glare at Stoney, he opened his mouth as if to argue then shook his head and his shoulders slumped like a deflated balloon as he said, "Sure Cap," walked over and sat down.

As Stoney concluded his story, Cap walked in. "Chief said he talked to Dick Friend, the reporters are going at this from the angle of why 51s wasn't at that fire this morning, not the car accident itself. He didn't think Johnny or Joanne would be bothered by any reporters," Cap stated in relief. Some of the tension in the room eased.

Roy checked on Joanne several times as the evening wore on, but each time, she let him visit briefly and then chased him back upstairs to wait with the guys. Dr. Early and Dr. Morton came to check on Joanne and told her that by morning they would ease the neuro checks to every 4 hours. At every visit, the first question out of her mouth was to ask about Johnny. It got to the point where he almost dreaded finding her awake. He could see her concern mounting and wanted her to rest, besides, his own worry was almost insurmountable. At one point he listened to her diatribe about hospital food and had to turn away as thoughts of his partner threatened to break his control.

The mood in the waiting room was like a pendulum, swinging from one extreme to the other. At times the room roared with laughter as rescues and fire scenes were recounted but at times it was so quiet and solemn one would think it was empty. The room itself was like a living, breathing being as men came and went in waves; sometimes full, past capacity and other times empty save for the crew from 51s. Someone brought in pizzas and pop, but most of it went uneaten. As the evening wore on, the conversations became quieter and less frequent but the shifting in chairs and uneasiness increased. Cap and the guys were called out once to a dumpster fire. Fortunately, it was minor and they were able to return to the hospital quickly, for which they were thankful. Roy had just returned from another visit with Joanne when emotions in the room erupted. As he sat down, Chet, who had been sitting there bouncing his leg up and down at a frantic pace, shot up out of his seat and stated, "That's it I'm going to go find out what's taking so long."

"Chet, cool it." Cap said in a warning tone.

"No Cap," Chet said harshly as he began to pace. "He's been up in surgery for over 6 hours now; surely someone in this joint knows something. I bet if we go down and talk to Early or Morton they can tell us something. They've probably been getting updates this whole time and just haven't shared it."

Marco stood up and stopped Chet by placing a hand on his chest. "Amigo, you need to calm down," he said sympathetically.

"Marco… man…I can't believe that we've all just been sitting here and no one comes to keep us informed. How's that supposed to be the 'best of care'? I mean we could be a bunch of old ladies with heart conditions and they could be giving us heart attacks with all this neglect. Ya know old people know people having surgery too! I mean, they should be better at keeping us posted."

Roy burst out laughing as he envisioned a bunch of old ladies with white curly hair like Chet's, sitting rocking. Cap and Mike looked at Roy and Chet in shock, Cap was not sure which one to address first. Chet became defensive and said, "Roy, this is no laughing matter. Johnny could be dying in there."

Cap stood to rein Chet in, but before he could Roy instantly sobered and said, "You think I don't know that Chet?" as he shot up from his chair and took a step toward him, "Just who's wife do you think it is that's in one of these rooms," he said as he took another step. Cap grabbed Roy's arm, but he shook it off, "and whose best friend is it? You weren't the one who went into that water and saw his best friend struggling desperately to try and move and barely getting anywhere," Roy's chest heaved with the emotions that were coursing through him. "You weren't the one who pulled your wife from your best friend's arms not even sure if she was alive…were you?" he pointed a finger at Chet, "And you aren't the one who almost had to tell their kids that they'd lost their mother…but now might have to tell them that they've lost their most favorite person in the world…Are you?" Roy was almost shouting by this time.

Before Chet could reply, Mike stood and walked over to Roy, putting a hand on his shoulder, "Come on and sit down Roy," he said as Cap looked over at Marco and flicked his head toward the door. Mike squeezed Roy's shoulder, "We're all worried and it's been a long day for everyone," he said as Marco guided Chet out the door. Roy let Mike lead him to a chair and sat down. Cap gave a nod to Mike and said, "If you'll excuse me, I'll be right back," and walked out.

Roy put his head in his hands as he realized what he'd just done. "Oh God Mike…I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me. I need to apologize to Chet."

Mike rubbed Roy's back. "Don't worry about it Roy, everything will be okay. Chet knows you didn't mean it. I'm sure he'll be back in a little and if it makes you feel better, you can apologize then," he said soothingly.

Roy took a deep breath and sat back. Rubbing his hands over his face, he said, "Damn, I feel like such a fool."

"Roy, don't even…you are not a fool. What you **are** is concerned and worried about your wife **and** best friend. I don't think anyone else who was in your situation could've done any better."

Roy looked over at Mike and gave him a small smile. "Thanks Mike," he said sincerely. A thought struck him, "Boy I'm glad Dix wasn't here, she'd of chewed my ear off for that," he said as he shook his head.

As Mike laughed, Cap walked in and sat down, his brows furrowed in concern, he questioned, "You okay now, pal?"

Roy nodded as he smiled sheepishly, "Yeah, Cap…sorry…I, uh, lost it for a little, but I'm okay now."

"No problem, pal," he responded kindly then added, "Chet and Marco will be back shortly."

"Is Chet okay, Cap?" Roy questioned nervously.

"He's fine Roy. Embarrassed by his outburst, but if you tell him I told you that, I'll deny it," Cap offered trying to assuage some of the guilt he knew Roy was feeling.

Roy grinned, "Yeah, well he's not the only one. Don't worry, your secret's safe with me," he responded. They lapsed into an easy silence.

A short while later, Chet and Marco came back. Roy stood and walked over to Chet; he put a hand on Chet's shoulder and looked him in the eye, saying, "I'm sorry Chet. What I did was uncalled for."

Chet waved him silent, saying, "No Roy, I was the one that stepped out of line. I shouldn't have said that about Johnny." He looked down at his foot, which was scuffing the floor.

Roy gave Chet's shoulder a gentle shake. "He's going to be okay, Chet. We have to believe that," Roy said with conviction.

A look of relief swept across Chet's face as he looked at Roy, "You really think so?" he asked hopefully.

"Yeah, I do Chet. I have to."

"Thanks, man," Chet said gratefully.

They sat down and continued their vigil content that there were no hard feelings. Roy was just about to go and check on Joanne when a disheveled, weary looking Brackett walked in. He was still wearing his sweat stained scrubs and carried his cap in his hand. As Kel scanned the room, Roy noticed the dark circles under his eyes and the firm set to his mouth. When he saw the tell-tale twitch, Roy's heart jumped into his throat.


	7. Chapter 7

**An Act of Friendship**

**Chapter 7**

Roy jumped to his feet, "Doc, how is he?" he questioned anxiously.

Kel waved his arm toward the door, "Roy, if you want to follow…" he started to say, but Roy waved him off as he replied, "Doc, whatever you have to say, you can say here," he assured. Kel nodded, "Alright, then have a seat," he stated as he pulled a chair in front of Roy and sat down, Brice and Dwyer walked in and came to stand behind Chet. "Let me start by saying he made it through the surgery and he's stable." A collective sigh traveled around the room as Kel continued, "We just moved him to recovery and Dixie's with him." He looked down at the floor, his lips pursed as he crossed his arms.

Roy's stomach flipped when he saw the concerned look on Brackett's face.

"There is really no easy way to say this, Roy," Kel said as he peered at Roy. "He's critical. Between near drowning and the physical damage, which was more extensive than I originally anticipated, his lungs are severely compromised."

Brice stiffened and color drained from his face when he heard this.

Kel's mouth twitched as he said, "When we got Johnny up to surgery, we did a bronchoscopy and found a moderate amount of freshwater meaning that he aspirated water before his trachea went into laryngospasm."

Roy broke in, "What about brain damage Doc?"

"I can't tell for certain, but the x-rays don't show anything significant and I don't think enough time elapsed without oxygen, but honestly, I can't rule it out completely either. It's going to be a few days until we can evaluate fully. I'm sorry I know that's not what you want to hear." Kel replied sincerely, a look of deep compassion in his eyes.

Roy struggled to contain his emotions. The room suddenly felt like it was closing in on him. He took a couple of deep, slow breaths to calm down.

Cap put a hand on his shoulder, "We'll deal with whatever happens, Roy," he assured looking him straight in the eye.

Roy gave a brief nod to his captain and then turned his attention back to Brackett.

Kel continued, "We evacuated as much water from his lungs as we could and we're starting him on furosemide. The freshwater in his system means we'll have to closely monitor his heart and renal functions and because of the hypothermia, his liver functions will be watched also. One of the difficulties we're facing is maintaining enough fluid so that his kidneys don't fail, but not so much that his lungs develop edema, which is a common complication of near drowning."

Roy blanched at the implications, he felt nauseous and his heart was pounding. He glanced quickly around the room, noting the wide eyed, shocked expressions on everyone's faces. Brice looked as green as he felt. "Um…could I have a moment, Doc?" he questioned.

"Of course Roy, I know it's a lot to take in," Kel said sympathetically. He stood up and went to the water cooler, poured a cup and brought it to Roy, "Here try this," he said as he handed it to him.

"Thanks," Roy said then took a couple quick sips. He closed his eyes, trying to collect himself. When he felt calmer, he opened his eyes and said, "Okay Doc, what else did you find?"

Kel looked at Roy to make sure he was okay before he proceeded. "When we examined the lung, we found a fragment of the rib was still partially embedded and another fragment apparently grazed the surface of the lung, causing a series of perforations. We repaired the ribs by evacuating the fragments and wiring the remaining segments and we sutured the lacerations on the lung. The good news is that the lung reinflated nicely…" before Kel could continue, Brice made a hasty apology and fled the room.

Cap looked at Dwyer, who said, "I'll go see what's going on," and left the room.

One brow rose questioningly as Kel glanced at Hank and then looked at Roy who nodded for him to continue. "The bad news is that, at this point, I'd have to say that Pneumonia is a certainty. I've ordered a strong cocktail of antibiotics in the hopes of lessening the severity." Kel stated as he rubbed the back of his neck. "We have Johnny on a ventilator for at least the next 72 hours, but more than likely longer. I've given him a moderate amount of sedation, but that may have to be adjusted. I don't want to compromise his lung function by sedating him too deeply, but he does need to be comfortable. We'll see how he does," he said as he glanced at Roy.

Roy nodded his understanding of the seriousness of the situation. Johnny normally had a problem with sedation, which would just complicate matters.

"Jack Lewis from Ortho recast the arm and he doesn't foresee any problems there. There's a large contusion on Johnny's right hip that we're watching, but we're not overly concerned. The open reduction on the leg went well. We evacuated the bone chips and put screws and plates in to stabilize the tibia. Jack opted to brace it and put it in traction for now to let the incision site heal, but in about a week, he'll put a cast on it. As I said earlier Roy, Johnny will need extensive physical therapy on that leg, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Kel declared as he looked around the stunned room. "I'm sorry. I wish I had better news. I know how important Johnny is to all of you and we'll do our best to see him through this. Is there anything I haven't answered?"

The words had no sooner left Kel's mouth when Roy piped in, "When can I see him, Doc?"

Kel gave a small smile, he was expecting this. "Let us get him settled in ICU and then I'll come down and get you and your crewmates. You can go in two at a time for a few minutes, okay?" he said as he stood up.

Cap rose and shook Kel's hand, saying, "Sure Dr. Brackett and thank you for taking such good care of my man."

"My pleasure, Hank, I only wish it were under different circumstances," he said ruefully.

Cap shook his head, "You and me both," he agreed. Kel strode out of the room as Cap turned to his men, he looked each of them over carefully before he said, "I'd better go call the Chief. He wanted to be kept posted." He headed for the payphones, praying that they wouldn't get a run anytime soon.

Roy sat immobilized. He knew he should go check on Joanne, but he couldn't muster the stamina to move. Maybe that was a good thing right now. He realized Joanne would take one look at him and know how wrong things were. As he recalled Brackett's account of Johnny's injuries, bile rose in the back of his throat and sweat beaded on his upper lip. His vision grayed as he pictured Johnny the last time he saw him. The next thing he knew, he was sitting bent forward, his head between his knees. He felt a hand on the back of his neck and heard Mike telling him to relax and that he'd be okay. He stayed still for a few moments before saying he was okay. He felt the hand lift from his neck as he slowly sat up and came face to face with Charlie Dwyer. "When did you get here?" he asked curiously.

Charlie gave a small grin and grabbed Roy's wrist saying, "Not long ago."

"Oh," Roy replied.

"That's better than before, your pulse is slowing down nicely," Dwyer informed him.

Roy blushed as he hadn't even realized that Dwyer had already checked his pulse once. Trying to deflect the conversation, Roy looked around and asked, "Where's Brice?"

Dwyer gave a sheepish grin as he replied, "Actually, I came to find you to see if you could talk to Brice."

Roy's eyes widened as he put his hand to his chest and said, "Me?"

"Yeah, after I caught up with him when he flew out of here, he muttered something about talking to you. I thought maybe you knew something about it." He looked over and saw Roy shaking his head. "I checked him out and he seems okay, but he's pretty shaky. I didn't think he and Johnny were that good of friends."

"They're not," Roy responded perplexed.

"All I know is that he's been acting pretty strange all day."

"Yeah, Cap mentioned that too. He seemed fine when I worked with him this morning. Annoying as usual, but that's to be expected." Roy replied wryly.

Charlie shook his head as he said, "That's not how he's acted since I came in; most of the day he's seemed really hesitant to treat patients, which as you know, is very unlike him. I asked him several times if something was bothering him, but he wouldn't say. I thought maybe you'd have better luck."

Roy was completely puzzled. "I'm not sure what I can do, but I'll talk to him," he said as he stood up. Charlie led him to a smaller waiting room that was down the hall, then left. As Roy walked in the door, he saw Craig, looking a little pale, sitting in a chair staring at the floor. He said, "Hey Brice, how are you doing?"

Brice's head popped up, fear swept briefly across his face to be replaced by a look of resignation. He shrugged as he replied, "I'm fine DeSoto," he sighed heavily, "Guess I know why you're here." He just wanted to get this over with.

Roy shot him a look of confusion. "I'm glad you do, because I certainly don't," he replied puzzled.

Brice stiffened, he dreaded what he was about to do, but it had to be done. He said, "I assumed you came to ask me to give up my badge and pin to Brackett."

Roy looked at him questioningly, "Why would I do that?" he asked not sure why Brice would think that.

"Because of what I did to Gage," Brice responded regret tingeing his voice.

"What do you mean?" he asked completely mystified.

Brice saw the confusion on Roy's face and realized he needed to clarify. "I'm the reason Gage is so ill. If I hadn't grabbed him, he wouldn't have nearly drowned," he stated adamantly.

Suddenly, it all became clear. Roy was stunned to realize that Brice felt responsible. "Brice, did you know that Johnny's ribs were injured?" he questioned pointedly.

Brice looked down, "No," he replied.

"Exactly," Roy replied. "Besides, even if you did know that his ribs were injured, you still needed to get him to the surface or were you planning on letting him drown?" he questioned.

"Of course not. But Roy he was struggling, I really had to hold him tight…and…and I could feel them moving," he said shuddering as he recalled how Johnny's ribs shifted beneath his arms as he twisted and turned then suddenly went limp.

"Craig, it was not an ideal situation, quite the opposite in fact. It didn't matter who went for Johnny, the outcome would have been the same. We needed to get him out of the water as quickly as possible, and you did that. So don't beat yourself up about it."

Brice let Roy's words sink in. He had worked with Roy enough times to know that he truly meant what he said and harbored no ill will towards him. He heaved a sigh of relief. "Are you sure?" he questioned.

Roy rolled his eyes, "Yeah, we're good. You know, Craig, not everything is covered in that rulebook of yours," he replied as he gave him a light slap on the back. He chuckled when Brice shrugged and replied, "It should be." Roy opened the door and said, "C'mon, let's go back to the waiting room," he was anxious to see if there was any more news.


	8. Chapter 8

**An Act of Friendship**

**Chapter 8**

…_lilacs…_

…_it smelled like lilacs…._

…_he knew he should know that smell, but he just couldn't figure out why…._

…_it smelled good and comforting, but also, somehow wrong…_

…_green eyes..._

…_the smell didn't match the eyes, he knew that... _

…_he should be smelling roses. Roses always went with green eyes…_

…_roses, green eyes…and laughter…_

…_Joanne…_

…_where was Joanne...she needed him…_

…_can't breathe…_

…_suffocating…choking…_

…_the river…_

…_I'm drowning…_

…_Spirits…I've failed Joanne…_

…_pain…_

…_coming in waves…_

…_the waves crashing down on him…one after another…pulling him under…_

…_darkness surrounding him…_

…_Roy…I'm so sorry…_

XXXXXXX

Kel had just finished cleaning up when he received an urgent phone call. He didn't think he'd ever made it to the recovery room so quickly. As he raced into the room he saw Dixie leaning over Johnny, taking his pulse. "Dix?" he questioned as he noted movement behind Johnny's eyelids and sweat beading his forehead.

"BP is 85/65, pulse is 140," she answered.

Johnny's throat began to convulse and the vent alarm rang out. Kel barked, "10 mgs. Diazepam STAT." He turned the alarm off as he pulled his penlight out of his pocket and examined Johnny's eyes. He listened to his heart and lungs as Dixie prepared and administered the sedative.

After a few moments, Dixie retook his pulse. "Pulse is down to 125," she reported.

Kel nodded as he picked up Johnny's chart and scanned over the notes. "What happened, Dix?" he questioned as he made some notations.

Dixie grabbed a wet washcloth and started wiping Johnny's face as she replied, "About 10 minutes ago his heart rate slowly started picking up then he started triggering the vent, and you saw the rest." She ruffled Johnny's hair, "You need to relax, Tiger," she said affectionately.

Kel closed the chart and walked over to the heart monitor. As he scanned over the strip he noticed an occasional arrhythmia._'You're not going to make this easy, are you? Well, two can play that game my friend, _he thought. "Dix let's give him 1.5 mgs. Lidocaine slow IV push." He made some additional notations in the chart then slotted it at the end of the bed and watched Johnny.

Dixie walked over to the drug cabinet and pulled out the necessary medication. As she loaded the syringe she questioned, "How much longer do you think you'll keep him in recovery?" She knew there were a bunch of anxious firemen just chomping at the bit to see their friend.

Kel crossed his arms as he contemplated the best course of action, "We'll wait another 30 minutes and then maybe we can get him moved up to ICU."

XXXXXXX

As Roy walked into the waiting room, Chet shot up out of his chair, "Is it time?" he asked anxiously as he bounced on his feet. Roy suppressed a chuckle and replied, "Not yet Chet. I'm sure Brackett will be here soon," he shook his head, _'Jeez Chet…you're worse than my kids,'_ he thought in amusement.

Chet was crestfallen as he slumped back into his chair.

Marco grinned slyly as he patted Chet on the shoulder, "I thought you didn't care, mi amigo," he accused.

Chet blushed as he stammered, "Well, I…I don't…" he fidgeted in his seat. "I just knew Roy would want to see him," he replied smartly as Roy rolled his eyes.

Hank walked in and found Roy, Chet and Marco all sitting together talking. On the other side of the room, Mike was talking to a group of firefighters; he motioned for Mike to join them. After everyone was seated he said, "I just finished talking to the Chief and here's the deal, fellas. The Chief stood us down until after we see Johnny, but then we have to go back to quarters and get some rest." _'And I have an incident report to fill out for the Chief,'_ he thought with resignation. The paperwork was endless.

They all nodded. While they wished they could stay at the hospital, they were at least relieved that they wouldn't have to worry about getting called out before they could see Johnny.

"The Chief also said that he wants to meet with all of us tomorrow right after shift," Hank said as he looked at Roy, "He wants you to come too, as long as you're not needed here, pal."

Roy nodded and then remembered. "Uh, Cap…I don't have a car here."

Hank scratched his head, thinking. "I'll have Brice and Dwyer drop it off either when we go back later or first thing in the morning," Cap answered.

As Roy nodded, Hank noticed Mike had a tablet and pen in one hand. "Hey pal, what's that?" he questioned.

"Oh, I was just getting some volunteers," Mike explained sheepishly. At Cap's questioning look, he continued, "I know Johnny's neighbor has been tending the horses while Johnny's been injured…"

"Damn, I never even thought of it, I should've called Tom and told him about Johnny," Roy interjected as he rubbed a hand over his face.

"Roy…I already took care of it," Mike replied. "Tom said he hopes Johnny's okay and don't worry about the horses. He'll look after them for as long as Johnny needs," he assured. "Anyhow, I know a couple of the guys have been out riding at Johnny's place…and a few others were there helping when we rebuilt Johnny's house after the fire, so I thought maybe if I asked, they would give Tom a hand with the horses, make it easier on him," he said as he ducked his head. "As I was talking to some of the guys, Carlson of 36s suggested we set up a rotation schedule for sitting with Johnny, since he has no family. Everyone agreed that that was a good idea and now I have two lists," he said with a shrug.

Roy's throat tightened as he thought of all the people who were so willing to give of their time for his friend. About a year ago, Johnny's house had burned to the ground. Word had spread quickly throughout the department and before they knew it, the men of 51s were joined by over a hundred 'handymen' to help overhaul and rebuild. Now, those same men were rising to the occasion again. It made Roy feel small in the face of such compassion.

Marco chimed in, "I forgot to tell you, Roy. I spoke to Mama earlier and she was going to call all the ladies to see if they wanted to make up some casseroles and desserts and take them over to your house. She said she'd have Mrs. Harrison put them in the freezer."

Roy nodded his thanks, overwhelmed by the kindness of his friends. He blinked repeatedly trying to dispel the moisture that was gathering as he thought of Mama Lopez, Mrs. Kelly, Emily Stanley, and Beth Stoker spending all day baking and cooking to make it easier on Joanne. He wouldn't be surprised if when he went home, his house was thoroughly cleaned.

Not to be outdone, Chet spoke up. "I called my cousin, Roy. Her husband was going to call his cousin and have your wagon dredged out of the river. He said he'd have any personal effects boxed up and delivered to my house and he'd wait for word from you on what you wanted done with the car. And the best part, he said he'd have it all done for free…he owed me a favor." Chet said smugly.

Roy felt like a deer caught in the headlights, he wasn't sure how to respond. _'Gosh, I didn't even think about the car,'_ Roy thought, thankful that he had one less thing to worry about. He'd have to remember and call his insurance agent tomorrow, but knowing Chet, he wouldn't be surprised if he already had.

Hank sat stunned. He knew his men looked out for each other, but it never ceased to amaze him the lengths to which they would go. He glanced at Roy and saw him struggling with his emotions. Knowing that he needed some time and space, he offered, "Why don't you go check on Joanne, pal. If Dr. Brackett comes, we'll come get you."

Roy gave a quick nod and fled the room.

XXXXXXX

Roy walked slowly to Joanne's room, pulling himself together. He still found it hard to believe that things were taken care of that he hadn't even thought about yet. He quietly entered her room and found her sound asleep. Being as careful as possible, he pulled the chart from the end of the bed and flipped it open. He saw that she'd had her last neuro check about 20 minutes ago followed by her meds. He knew she wouldn't wake anytime soon, so he replaced the chart and sat down in the chair next to her bed and let himself drift.

So much had happened that he felt like he had lived a week in this one day. He always found it interesting how time seemed elastic. When things were going well or you were having fun, time seemed to fly. But when things were going poorly or you were waiting for something, time seemed to drag, or sometimes like now, stop. He knew it really hadn't, but it sure felt like time had stopped.

He awoke with a start a short time later, surprised that he'd fallen asleep. He yawned then stretched before standing up. He gazed at Joanne for a few moments before leaning down and gently kissing her forehead. "I'll back in a little while, honey," he softly whispered before heading out the door.

XXXXXXX

Roy got off the elevator and saw Brackett walk into the waiting room, he quickened his pace. He heard Cap asking Marco to go get him as he strode through the doorway.

Cap glanced at him and said, "Great timing, pal." He looked over at Dr. Brackett, "I guess we're ready now," he said as he stood.

Kel led the silent group of men up to the seventh floor. They entered the ICU ward and went to the waiting room. "Alright gentleman, as I said before, you can go in two at a time for five minutes only," he stated.

Cap rubbed his hands together as he decided the order. He knew Chet would have a hard time, so he decided he would go in with him. "Marco, why don't you and Mike go first? Chet and I can go next and then Roy, you can go last, that is if you don't mind," he looked at Roy for confirmation.

"That's fine by me, Cap. I don't mind," Roy replied.

By the time it was his turn, Roy felt sick. Marco and Mike had come back looking pale and shaken. Marco murmured prayers continually in Spanish as Mike turned slightly green, excused himself and fled…Roy assumed to the bathroom. A short while later Cap and Chet returned. Chet wouldn't look anywhere but at the floor as he sat down and bent forward, placing his elbows on his knees and his hands covering his face. Roy thought he saw his shoulders begin to shake. In alarm, he looked over at Cap, whose jaw was clenched and his eyes tear-bright. Cap placed a hand on his shoulder and gave a squeeze as he whispered hoarsely, "Be prepared, Roy. He looks bad." Roy nodded an acknowledgement before walking down the hall. As he neared Johnny's room he could hear some of the various machines beeping and clicking, keeping his friend alive. He stopped and closed his eyes, trying to prepare himself. He took a deep breath and walked through the door.


	9. Chapter 9

**An Act of Friendship**

**Chapter 9**

As Roy crossed the threshold, all the air in his lungs was violently expelled. He had, unfortunately, seen Johnny in critical condition more times than he wanted to think about, but even that was nothing compared to how he looked now. As his eyes swept over the room, he wasn't sure if there was a piece of medical equipment left that wasn't attached to his partner. There were so many tubes and lines attached to him, he looked like a mad scientist's project. For the first time in his life, Roy felt afraid to approach his partner. _'No wonder the guys looked the way they did,'_ flitted through his mind as he tried to calm down, his heart felt like it was going to pound out of his chest.

Dixie, who was standing in the far corner, saw the emotions sweep across Roy's face. Feeling for her friend she walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder as she kindly said, "its okay, Roy, take your time. Why don't you come over here and sit down?" She led him over to the chair and gently pushed him down. "I'll just be outside the door," she whispered as she gave a squeeze and moved away.

Roy gave a grateful nod as he sank onto the chair. His eyes focused on his partner. To say Johnny was pale was an understatement; he was so white he made the sheets look dirty. He peered closely at Johnny's face and noted the bruise on his temple that trailed into his hair. An NG tube was taped in place and his cheeks looked sunken as his mouth was forced into an uncomfortable position by the blue plastic hose of the ventilator that looked grotesque jutting from his mouth. Both he and Johnny had experienced a ventilator enough times to know that it felt even worse than it looked, and it was even worse when they took it out. As his gaze traveled down, he flinched as he saw that Johnny had a central line embedded in his jugular. He knew it was practical and would make it easier on the nursing staff, but it was still hard to see. His gaze traveled to the IV stand where there were a number of bags hanging. He was surprised to see that Johnny was still being given blood.

Kel stepped up beside Dixie and questioned, "Mind if I join you?"

Roy turned and replied, "Not at all, Doc. I was just about to ask Dix why Johnny's being given blood?"

Kel put his hands in his pocket as he explained. "Obviously because of the surgery there was blood loss, which we need to replace, but on top of that, nearly drowning would affect his oxygen levels and there are some other potential complications…"

Roy interjected, "What kind of complications?"

"When freshwater enters the lungs it gets pulled into the pulmonary circulation by osmosis. This causes the blood to dilute, which causes hemolysis or the bursting of red blood cells. When this happens, potassium levels can become elevated and sodium levels decrease which can cause ventricular fibrillation…"

Roy stood up in alarm as blood drained from his face. His eyes flew to the heart monitor.

Kel walked over and put a hand on Roy's arm and guided him back into the chair. "Don't worry, Roy, we're watching him. As I stated before, we will be closely monitoring his heart and his kidneys…"

At the mention of the word kidneys, Roy instantly looked at the foot of the bed, checking the collection bag.

"Earlier, he started showing signs of arrhythmia, but we've given him Lidocaine and it seems to have settled down," Kel assured.

Roy relaxed slightly as he thought, '_Boy Junior, you never do things the easy way, do you.' _He rubbed the back of his neck trying to ease some of the tension as he thought about everything Kel had said. His brow furrowed as he asked, "Why his kidneys?"

"When red blood cells burst, they release hemoglobin, which can accumulate in the kidneys and potentially cause acute renal failure. I honestly don't foresee this happening, but at this point, I'd rather err on the side of caution," Kel replied kindly. "But back to your original question, I'm hoping that by giving extra blood products, we can stabilize his levels more easily and lessen the stress on his body."

Roy nodded his understanding but then turned his attention back to his friend. Johnny had a hospital gown on but his arms were not in the sleeves, it was folded over the sheet that was pulled three quarters of the way up his chest. There was a bubbling sound coming from the chest tube as mucous and other fluids drained to the Pleurevac. Chest leads snaked out from under the sheets and led to the heart monitor. Roy briefly looked at the heart monitor, assuring himself that his friend's heart was beating properly, before continuing his perusal. A small section of a bandage could be seen on the right side of his chest where Brackett had performed surgery. Johnny's right arm was resting on a pillow, supporting the new, white cast on his lower arm and his upper arm had a BP cuff wrapped around it. Sighing, he stood and stretched as his eyes roamed over the traction device that held his friend's leg at an angle. It didn't look very comfortable, but then again nothing in this room looked very comfortable, including his partner. He walked around to the other side of the bed and rested a hand on Johnny's arm, it was icy cold. He looked over at Brackett, "Doc, he feels kinda cold."

Kel pulled Johnny's chart. As he scanned it he said, "Dix, let's get another reading."

Dixie grabbed a thermometer from a nearby tray and put it under Johnny's arm. Gently, she applied pressure to the arm to keep it in place. She winked at Roy as she said, "How do you like this, Roy? This hose jockey thinks he can give me more gray hairs," she said playfully as she ruffled Johnny's hair. "If he keeps this up, I'm going to have to buy Miss Clairol—the whole company."

Roy snorted, then replied, "Well what about me? I'm not gonna have any hair left to be gray," he ran his hand through his hair to demonstrate. He knew that Dixie was trying to ease some of the tension in the room, and he appreciated it.

Kel looked from Dixie to Roy and shook his head. The resiliency of his friends never ceased to amaze him.

Dixie pulled the thermometer out, "It's 97.2, Kel." She shook it down and put it back on the tray then busied herself with taking vitals.

"All things considered, that's pretty good," Kel said as Roy nodded his agreement. Kel knew his next words would not go over well. He squared his shoulders then said, "I hate to do this Roy, but it's time for you to go. Don't worry, Dixie or I will be with him all night." He put a hand on Roy's shoulder, "I know you're not going to want to hear this, but I think you should stop and check on Joanne then go home for the night."

Roy adamantly shook his head. "No way Doc, I won't leave. If you won't let me stay here, I'll go down with Joanne."

"Listen to me Roy. The next few days are going to be really rough. Why don't you go home and get a good night's sleep and then come back in the morning. You won't do Joanne or Johnny any favors by wearing yourself out," Kel said as he gently shook Roy's shoulder.

"I appreciate your concern Doc, really I do, but I need to be here," he said pleadingly.

Kel shook his head as he held both hands up, palms out. "Alright…alright, you can stay with Joanne. You might as well crash on the other bed. We'll wake you if we need it."

Roy smiled. Truthfully, the stress of the day was quickly catching up to him and he felt exhausted. He had planned to sleep in the chair near Joanne's bed, but an actual bed sounded really nice, "Thanks Doc. I think I'll do that. Oh...hey Doc, if Brice comes in on a run, can you make sure he gets to see Johnny. He was feeling really guilty earlier, and I thought it might help if he could see him."

Kel looked puzzled as he asked, "Brice? Guilty? Why?"

"You're not gonna believe this one, but he feels responsible for Johnny being injured during the rescue. I talked to him about it, and I think I convinced him that what he did was necessary," said Roy as he shook his head. "Only Johnny could bring out the sensitive side of Brice," Roy snorted.

Dixie and Kel laughed, Roy was right. Johnny had a way of making people care about him. It was one of the many reasons he was so special.

"I'll make sure he gets to see him," Kel assured.

"Thanks, Doc," Roy replied then bent down next to Johnny's ear and said softly, "I'm gonna go now Junior. You behave while I'm gone. Don't give Doc or Dix any problems…hear me?" He patted Johnny's arm then straightened up. "You know where to find me if you need me," he told Brackett and Dixie.

As Roy headed out the door, Kel called, "Roy."

Roy turned and looked at him.

"Try to get some rest okay?"

Roy gave a brief nod and left. As he walked past the waiting room, he was surprised to find Cap and the guys still there. He stopped and leaned against the doorframe. "I thought you guys would've already headed back to the barn," he stated then was overcome by a huge yawn.

Hank stood, smiling, "I just wanted to make sure John was okay before we left," he stated simply. Roy didn't need to know that the other reason they hadn't left was that he wanted to make sure Roy was okay as well.

"He's fine, Cap…well…you know what I mean. Doc said he and Dixie will be with Johnny all night and they'll call if anything happens. I'm gonna go crash in the extra bed in Joanne's room."

Hank was relieved when he heard this. He knew it wouldn't be the best sleep for Roy, but at least it was better than those darn plastic chairs. "Alright fellas, let's head out," he said to his men. They all stood and then headed for the elevators.

Roy assessed all of them. While they looked worn and still upset, they looked better than they had. As he got off on Joanne's floor, Cap reminded him of the meeting in the morning and then told him to call if he needed anything. The guys sent well wishes to Joanne and then bid goodnight. Roy stopped at the nurses' station and told her of Brackett's order, which she already knew about as Brackett had already called down. He asked her how Joanne was while he was gone. The nurse told him Joanne had slept most of the time and seemed comfortable. He then asked for a spare toothbrush and toothpaste and headed for her room. He snuck in quietly and brushed his teeth before kissing Joanne goodnight and climbing into the bed. When his body hit the bed, he sighed contentedly and quickly fell asleep.


	10. Chapter 10

**An Act of Friendship**

**Chapter 10**

Roy awoke in the morning surprised and embarrassed to find that he had slept the whole night through, even Joanne's neuro checks hadn't disturbed him. When he looked over and found Joanne's bed empty, he sat up instantly alarmed. He rubbed his face as he tried to think of where she might be. He was just about to go check with the nurse when he heard the toilet flushing. _'Get a grip DeSoto, where else did ya think she'd be,_' he chastised himself as he tried to relax. Joanne walked out and mumbled, "Morning," half-heartedly. Roy went to her and gently gave her a big hug. "How do you feel this morning, sweetheart?" he asked softly. He sympathized as he was pretty certain what his wife's answer would be.

"Roy, my head feels bigger than this building," she admitted miserably.

He kissed her tenderly on the forehead then on the lips then gazed lovingly into her eyes. "How are your ribs?" he inquired as he rubbed his hands gently up and down her back.

She rested her head on his shoulder as she enjoyed the strength and security of his arms. "They're sore but I'm okay as long as I don't move too fast," she replied as she snuggled closer.

He gave her a gentle squeeze. "Let's get you back in bed," he said then guided her to the bed. As she lay back, he pointed at her arm and said, "I see you lost the IV."

"Yeah and boy am I glad. Between the nurses waking me up every two hours for neuro checks and the bathroom runs from all that fluid they pumped in me, I'm not sure if I slept more than 45 minutes at a time. No wonder my head's pounding." Roy chuckled as she grinned ruefully. A pensive look swept her face and her brow furrowed as she asked, "Roy…how's Johnny?"

Roy was hoping to avoid this conversation until later, but knew Joanne wouldn't be put off. He sat down and reached for her hands. Looking deeply into her eyes he replied honestly, "Jo, he's pretty sick right now." Her eyes widened as he continued, "Brackett said his lungs were a mess…" He scrubbed a hand over his face. "The collapsed lung was damaged more than he originally thought," he sighed as Joanne visibly paled. He looked down as he squeezed her hands comfortingly. "Add to that the near drowning…" He bit his lower lip then proceeded, "Brackett thinks it's just a matter of time until he develops pneumonia…" He heard a hitched breath and looked up into watery green eyes.

"Oh Roy, I'm so sorry. It's all my fault," Joanne cried out as her face crumpled. Gut wrenching sobs erupted from her.

Roy pulled her into his arms and stroked her back as he rocked her gently, trying to calm her. He rested his cheek on her hair as he whispered soothing words of comfort. As the sobs slowed then stopped, he held her tightly. He calmly whispered, "Shhh..honey, it's not your fault," as he tried to reassure her.

Joanne nodded vehemently. "If…if I hadn't pulled over to…to th…the side of the road…"

"Joanne! It was an accident; it wasn't anybody's fault. There was no way you could have known the shoulder was gonna give way." He cupped her face with his hands, forcing her to look at him. As red rimmed eyes gazed at him remorsefully, he said, "An accident, Jo. I know it feels like there should be someone to blame, but there's not." He ran his hands down to her shoulders and gave a gentle shake. "You know, sometimes I have this habit of blaming myself for my partner's accidents," he said as he gave her a pointed look. "And I know this really wise woman who always gives me wonderful advice. Do you know what she always tells me?"

Joanne rolled her eyes and replied, "Sometimes what your mind knows and your heart tells you are two different things, but guilt isn't going to solve or change anything." She sighed heavily.

"What else does this wise woman say?" Roy asked with a mischievous look in his eye.

Giving Roy an annoyed look, Joanne replied, "You should concentrate on being there for your friend and helping him to get well. He needs your support and encouragement, not remorse."

"Sounds like some pretty good advice to me." Roy grinned and pecked her on the cheek. He knew Joanne had gotten the point. "Besides, you know Johnny wouldn't want you blaming yourself," he said seriously.

"I know he wouldn't." Joanne admitted as a single tear rolled down her cheek at the thought of her forgiving friend.

He pulled her head into his shoulder and held her tightly as he fought his own watery eyes. "He's gonna be okay, Jo. We have to believe that," he said as he stroked her hair. "For his sake—and ours," he whispered as he closed his eyes. They stayed locked in each other's arms, seeking and accepting comfort from each other for quite some time.

When they finally pulled apart, Roy saw that Joanne was utterly exhausted. Her head drooped and her eyes had a pain filled, pinched look to them. He surreptitiously pressed the call button as he explained the meeting he was to attend at the station. A nurse came in to check. She did a quick vitals check and gave Joanne her meds. Roy was helping her get settled when Dr. Brackett entered the room. "Doc?" Roy questioned anxiously.

Kel raised a hand. "Relax Roy. There's been no significant changes," Kel reported as Roy's brow rose questioningly. He put his hands in his lab coat as he continued, "His urine output is on the low side and he's running a low-grade fever. I have to be honest. I'm a little surprised by how quickly the fever is presenting." His mouth twitched as he imparted his news.

"Dr. Brackett, I think he was already sick," Joanne interjected.

Brow furrowing, Kel asked, "What makes you say that?"

Joanne explained, "Yesterday, before we left to come here, I noticed Johnny looked pale and tired. I asked him about it, but he said he hadn't slept well. I really think he wasn't feeling well but didn't want to admit it. Jenny's been home sick the last few days and he could've picked something up from her." Joanne shook her head as she recalled the dark circles under Johnny's eyes.

As he listened to Joanne, Roy thought about how Johnny had acted the last day or so. "I think you're right Joanne. I heard Johnny cough several times during the past two nights, but didn't think anything of it at the time," Roy recounted.

"It really doesn't change anything but it would explain the quick onset," Kel confirmed, relieved to have a plausible explanation for how quickly the fever was setting in. That question answered, he focused on his next priority. "I also wanted to check on how you're feeling," he said as he smiled kindly at Joanne. He walked to the foot of the bed and pulled her chart.

"Sore and a slight headache," Joanne responded as she shifted to a more comfortable position.

Scanning over the notes quickly Kel replied, "Everything looks good on this end." He closed the chart and placed it back in its slot then crossed his arms as he visually assessed her.

Her eyes were growing heavy as her medications kicked in, but she had a question she wanted answered first. "When can I see Johnny?"

"How about if you get some rest right now and we'll see about a visit this afternoon?" Kel looked at Roy for confirmation.

Roy nodded briefly as Joanne yawned sleepily. She murmured an 'okay' before her eyes closed and the battle was lost. Roy reached over and tucked the covers securely. He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and whispered that he'd be back later then straightened and followed Brackett out of the room. He really wanted to see Johnny, but knew he was already tight for time. He still had to stop at home to shower and pick up a few items for Joanne. He assured Brackett that he would be up as soon as possible before rushing down the hall.

XXXXXXX

Roy entered the day room just in time. His hair was still damp from his mad dash home and into the shower. Everyone was seated, including Brice and Dwyer, awaiting the Chief. B-shift was waiting in the locker room so A-shift could have some privacy. Roy poured himself a cup of coffee, took a quick but hot sip then sat down.

When morning tones had sounded, Cap tried to call Brackett for an update, but was unable to reach him. They were all on edge and anxious for word on Johnny. Before anyone could question Roy, the Chief entered the room.

"Good morning gentleman. Thank you for staying or coming as the case may be," Chief McConnikee said as he set his hat on the table and looked over the men. "I'll make this brief as I know you are all anxious to get over to Rampart. I've already spoken to Dr. Brackett this morning. He's assured me that Gage is doing as well as can be expected."

Some of the tension in the room dissipated at his words. Chet glanced over at Roy, seeking confirmation. At Roy's slight nod, Chet relaxed back into his seat.

"I will be keeping in close contact with Dr. Brackett over Gage's condition," McConnikee assured. "Now, I know yesterday was a very stressful and difficult situation and, unfortunately, that might not change in the near future." He looked solemnly around the room at the assembled men. "I know that you are a tightly-knit group. But if any of you feel the need to talk, Dr. Gardiner, the staff psychologist, is available to talk to you individually or as a group." He looked directly at Cap. "I could make it an order for you to debrief as a group, but at your captain's recommendation, I've decided to forego that option." McConnikee tried not to smile at the sighs and looks of relief that swept the room. "The department will support each and every one of you in your decision."

"Thank you Chief," Cap responded relieved his men would not be pressured into attending sessions. He had always found that his men were more open and did better when they could meet casually as a group and talk about an event. Anytime the staff psychologist had to be involved, his men withdrew and clammed up so quickly that nothing was accomplished. If anything, it only added to their tension.

McConnikee cleared his throat. "The other reason I wanted to talk to you was to assure you of Gage's financial solvency."

Mike gave Marco a sidelong glance. They had all talked about Johnny's financial situation after they returned to the station last night. Mike was worried that Johnny would lose his ranch if he was off for an extended period of time, which it looked like he now would be. Marco and Chet had offered to put together a fireman's benefit dinner, with the help of their mothers. But before the two men could go off on a tangent, Cap had suggested that they wait for a while to see how Johnny was. It was determined that no matter what happened, Johnny would not lose his ranch. They all knew how hard he had worked to buy the ranch and get it up and running. It was his pride and joy, and none of them would be a party to it being taken away from him.

Marco said a silent prayer when he heard McConnikee's statement.

"I've spoken with the other chiefs and our insurance carrier. Since Gage was strictly following doctor's orders under a workers' comp. claim, the second accident falls under workers' comp. jurisdiction," the Chief informed them.

As Mike smiled in satisfaction, Roy looked startled at this revelation. He had not even considered the possibility.

McConnikee continued, "He will continue to have all medical bills paid and will receive full pay until he is signed off to return to work." He looked at Roy as he said, "DeSoto, your wife's medical bills also fall under workers' comp. and will be paid accordingly."

Roy nodded as he stammered, "Thank you." He had assumed that his health insurance would have to cover Joanne's bills and anything not paid would come out of pocket. It was a relief to know that everything was taken care of.

Hank looked around the room at his stunned but relieved men. He clapped his hands and rubbed them together as he turned toward the chief. "Chief, I can't begin to tell you how relieved my men and I are to hear that. John's going to have a lot to deal with as he recuperates. Being able to tell him he doesn't have to worry about his ranch will go a long way towards his physical and mental attitude." Cap glanced over and saw Mike and Marco both nodding their heads in agreement.

"I understand Hank," McConnikee said kindly. He picked up his hat as he said, "Make sure you tell Gage just to concentrate on getting better."

Cap swallowed noisily then cleared his throat. "I will Chief. I promise," he said then held out his hand. "Please tell the other chiefs how much this is appreciated," he said as he shook the chief's hand vigorously.

"I will Hank. Go on now, you all have someplace you need to be."

The sound of chairs scraping and feet jostling was the only sound that could be heard as the men made their way out to their respective cars. McConnikee said a silent prayer for the men of 51s A-shift as he headed for the locker room to fill in B-shift on Gage's condition.


	11. Chapter 11

**An Act of Friendship**

**Chapter 11**

The ICU waiting room was packed full when the men of 51s A-shift arrived. Men were spilling out into the hallway and little pockets of conversation had started up here and there. Roy gave Cap an amused smile as Chet gave a low whistle. "Will you look at that. Man—only Gage could manage to have a room filled with men willing to watch him sleep," he said as he shook his head.

The whole room burst into laughter as Cap shook his head thinking that only Chet would make such an observation. Mike looked at Chet seriously and said, "Yeah, the only thing worse would be if we asked some ladies to watch over him." Mike tried to contain his grin as he wiggled his eyebrows.

Chet nodded his head and said, "Yeah." He stopped nodding as he realized Mike was poking fun at him. "Awww Mikey, cut it out. I'm serious man."

Mike cuffed him on the head. "So am I and don't call me Mikey," he said as he stepped forward and found a seat.

"All right you twits, knock it off," Cap grumbled good naturedly as he sat next to Mike. Marco and Chet walked over and sat across from them.

Roy turned to his captain and said, "I'll go check with Brackett to see if you guys can come in." At his captain's nod of approval, he walked over to the harried looking nurse at the desk. "Excuse me," he said politely.

The nurse glared up at him. She had been working on the same report for the last 40 minutes and was anxious to finish it. Usually, she could have completed a report like this in half the time, but every 2 minutes one of the many firemen in the room were interrupting her with one question or another. It felt like she had spent the whole day babysitting firemen and she was at the end of her rope. "Look, if I've told one of you, I've told a hundred. Mr. Gage is not allowed visitors at this time. It would be better if you all would just go home," she snapped as she shooed Roy away with her hand then turned to the counter behind her.

Hank had overheard the exchange and immediately rose to his feet and walked over. Mike, Marco and Chet quickly followed. Roy stood stunned. He had never had a problem gaining admittance to ICU before. _'Just who do you think you are,'_ he thought as his ire rose. He was getting ready to blast her when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked back into the furious eyes of his captain.

Hank squared his shoulders. "Excuse me, Ma'am," he said his voice ringing with authority. As the nurse turned, he continued, "I'm Captain Hank Stanley of the Los Angeles County Fire Department and this gentleman." He indicated Roy. "And I do stress the word gentleman, is Roy DeSoto. He is Mr. Gage's paramedic partner and also his medical power of attorney. Now, I would suggest that you call Dr. Kelly Brackett and ask him to come here—immediately."

The nurse looked Captain Stanley up and down, disgust plainly written on her face. "He's not available and doesn't have time to talk to you anyhow," she said contemptuously then continued with her work. She muttered under her breath, "I don't know how they expect me to get a thing done with all these stupid fireman out here."

Hank stiffened as he heard Marco gasp. Apparently he wasn't the only one to hear her little comment. He looked back at his men, noting their expressions. Chet looked like he was about to sail over the desk and wring the nurse's neck. While Marco's mouth hung open, his eyes wide in incredulity. Even Mike looked outraged. And Roy's face was getting redder by the moment. He easily matched Big Red. Hank didn't think he had ever been so mad in his life. Nothing bothered him more than a person who worked in the public sector and had no patience for them. He and his men were completely exhausted, both physically and emotionally and this was the final straw. "May I have your name," he asked in a deadly calm voice.

The nurse's head snapped up. She looked closely at the tall, dark haired man in front of her. He exuded an air of authority and it was obvious that he was a man who was used to being listened to. A ripple of anxiety traveled up her spine, but she ignored it as all she wanted to do was finish the report. "Why?" she asked warily.

"So that I can report you…"

"Report me! Report me for what? I'm just sitting here doing my job. It's all you pesky firemen who are the problem. You come in here acting like you own the place. Using up all the seats so a decent person who wants to visit their loved one has nowhere to wait. And even if someone did want to wait, with all the noise you're making, laughing and carrying on, they wouldn't want to wait for long. You all act like its party time. You should be ashamed of yourselves and just go home and leave the room for someone who actually needs it. Besides, you're not going to get to see him anyway. And even if you do see him, it's not like he's going to know you're there…" She saw the man's eyes drift beyond her left shoulder. As he gave a brief nod, her eyes followed and she looked behind her into the blazing blue eyes of the head of the ER.

"Nurse Smelling!" Kel barked. He had been standing behind her for almost the entire time. She felt her stomach churn as he said, "Report to your supervisor immediately and bring her to my office in 30 minutes."

"But, Dr. Brackett…" Nurse Smelling tried to explain.

Kel raised his hand. "Not now. I'll see you shortly," he said as he summarily dismissed her. He turned and looked at the men of 51s. Anger was tangible as it radiated off of them in waves. "Hank, guys, I'm truly sorry about that. Nurse Smelling's treatment of all of you was unconscionable. Let me assure you she will be dealt with accordingly," he said soothingly as he tried to quell his own anger.

Hank gave a brief nod as he was still too angry to speak.

Kel indicated the doors to ICU. "Why don't we all go in here and I can update you on Johnny's condition," he said as he led them through the double doors.

As soon as they crossed the threshold of the ICU, the anger drained out of them and was instantly replaced with concern. They gathered closely to listen to Dr. Brackett.

Kel put his hands in his pocket as he turned toward the group. "I'm afraid Johnny's condition hasn't changed much, which is not necessarily a bad thing," he said as he looked over the group. "However, he has developed a fever and I don't like the sound of his lungs." He looked at Roy. "Roy, the rales are increasing and the congestion is thickening," he reported.

Roy's brow creased as he asked, "Pneumonia?"

"I'm not one hundred percent positive, but I'd have to say yes. I've sent some samples down to the lab to be cultured. When we get the results back, I'll know if I need to change his antibiotics," Kel explained.

"How high is his fever, Doc?" Chet asked anxiously. When he heard somebody snort, he said, "I'm just askin' cause I know Roy here wants to know." He looked over at Roy and grinned. "Don't worry buddy, since Johnny can't take care of you, I will," he replied.

Roy snorted as he shook his head. "Thanks…I think," he replied dryly.

Cap had to put a hand over his mouth to hide his smile as Kel pursed his lips and twitched his mouth in an effort to contain his grin. "It's risen by 1 degree in the last hour. It's 100.5 right now, Chet," Kel confirmed. He contemplated his next statement. "I'm going to have to limit Johnny's visitors. At this point, I think it's best if he's exposed to as few people as possible."

"Well I guess that shoots that idea," Hank said dispiritedly. At the curious look on Kel's face, Hank explained about the list that was put together to sit with John, being that he had no family.

Kel shook his head as he replied, "I'm sorry guys, but right now Johnny is just too compromised to risk that much exposure. I'll let all of you have unlimited access, but that is all. Once Johnny is stronger, we can revisit the idea and make a determination."

Everyone sighed in relief, knowing that they would still be able to be there for their friend.

Kel gave a small smile at the closeness and loyalty of these men. "The one thing I will ask is that you gown, glove and wear a mask when you're in with Johnny. That way we can minimize any additional exposure to germs. And no more than 2 or 3 of you at a time." He shook Hank's hand then turned to Roy. "Roy, could I have a word with you?" he questioned.

"Sure Doc," Roy replied and moved with Brackett down the hall. "What's up?" he asked as Brackett crossed his arms.

"I think we should forego Joanne's visit with Johnny for today," at Roy's questioning look he continued, "There are a couple of reasons for this decision. First, Joanne is still recuperating from a concussion. Now I've checked with Joe, and she's doing well but I'm afraid seeing Johnny in this condition will cause too much of an emotional strain and aggravate her condition."

Roy scrubbed the back of his neck as he thought about what Brackett said. "I think you're right, Doc. I know how hard I found it to see Johnny last night. I'm sure Joanne isn't gonna take it any better. What's the other reason?"

"I checked on her a little while ago and she's developed a low-grade fever."

"How high, Doc?" Roy interjected with concern.

"I checked just before I came up here. It was 99.7. It could be that she's developed something from Jenny or it could be as a result of the accident. She's already on an antibiotic that will hopefully take care of it, but we'll keep a close watch on it. She was resting comfortably and looked like she was about to fall asleep when I left," he assured knowing that Roy would feel torn between his wife and friend. "Now why don't you go check on that partner of yours?" Roy nodded in acquiescence. "Oh and Roy, I want to apologize again for Nurse Smelling's treatment of you and the guys. There's no excuse for it."

"Doc, don't worry about it, it wasn't your fault. I know you'll take care of it." Roy did not envy her. Judging by the look on Brackett's face, she'd be lucky to still have a job by the time he was done with her.

Roy nodded and walked back down the hall, joining his crewmates. Chet, Marco and Mike were in visiting Johnny, so Cap and Roy decided to go wait in the waiting room for their turn.

As they sat there waiting, Roy filled Cap in on all that was going on with Joanne. They both agreed that her not seeing Johnny was for the best, but Roy knew and could understand that she would not be happy by it. They talked quietly until Mike, Chet and Marco returned. Roy noted that although they appeared better than the last time they had seen Johnny, they still looked disheartened. Cap put a hand on his back and gave a gentle push. "C'mon Roy, let's go see our boy."


	12. Chapter 12

**An Act of Friendship**

**Chapter 12**

Kel entered his office to find Nurse Smelling and her supervisor, Nurse Daniels, waiting. "Thank you for coming. I don't know if Nurse Smelling has filled you in on why I've asked you here," he questioned.

"She said that she was behind schedule and may have gotten a little out of line with a visitor to one of the patients," Sally Daniels replied. She glanced over at Mary Smelling, she'd had several problems with her recently and this was not the first time she'd been called on her attitude. Sally expected her to look contrite or at least somewhat apologetic. What she saw was someone who looked more irritated than anything. She frowned, not liking what she was seeing.

Kel gave an incredulous look. His anger returning as he retorted, "A little out of line? I overheard almost the whole conversation and I can guarantee it was more than a little out of line."

If there was one thing Sally Daniels couldn't abide, it was for one of her nurses to lie. She scrutinized Mary Smelling as she commanded, "Just what exactly did you say?"

Mary Smelling could not believe what a big deal everyone seemed to be making over some dumb firemen. At Nurse Daniels question, she became instantly defensive. "I just told them the truth, that Mr. Gage was too critical to have visitors…"

"On whose authority," barked Kel. "I happen to know for a fact that there is a note at the nurses' station stating that the crew from Station 51 was to be granted access. And I know that, because I put it there," he stated incensed.

"Well, yeah I saw the note, but I didn't know that they were the ones I was supposed to let in," she tried to cover herself.

"Did you give them a chance to tell you who they were?" He questioned already knowing the answer.

"Well…no, but I was trying to get that report…"

Kel interrupted, "I don't care what you were doing. Your first priority should have been to the person standing in front of you seeking help." The more she argued with him, the angrier Kel became.

Sally sat, her head turning from side to side like she was at a tennis match. She was half appalled and half gleeful at what she was witnessing. In the last month, she'd disciplined Mary three times for her attitude; once toward a coworker and twice towards family members. After each time she had been reprimanded, Mary's attitude had progressively become worse. Sally knew that she would now be able to fire the troublesome young woman. But before that happened, she was certainly going to enjoy the show. By the time Dr. Brackett was done, Sally was sure that Mary would not be able to find a job as a nurse from here to San Francisco.

Mary replied, "But there were so many of them…and all day long they kept coming up and asking stupid questions…"

"I don't care if there was 1 or 1,000 of them." He pointed his finger at her. "You should have made them your priority each and every time."

"But it wasn't like they were family or anything," she tried to rebut.

"It doesn't matter if they're family or not. If they were looking to you for assistance, your job is to give it. And by the way, one of those gentlemen does indeed hold medical power of attorney, which is the same as being family. Yet you summarily dismissed him."

Mary knew she was losing the battle, but she was in such a foul mood that she wasn't going to give in. Trying to discredit Brackett to her supervisor, she said, "If they weren't your friends, we wouldn't even be here."

That was enough to throw Kel over the top. "Now you listen here. My being friends with them is irrelevant. Let's set some things straight. First, your job is not only to the patient, but also to their family members or friends. They deserve your respect and understanding, no matter what they say or do. I would have thought that you would have realized that in an ICU, where there are critically ill patients. Friends or family are under a great deal of stress and, therefore, may not act as you might think. Yes, there were a lot of men up in that waiting room and yes, they at times, might have been making more noise than usual. But that may be the only way they have to relieve some of the stress and pressure they're feeling about their critically ill friend," he stated firmly.

"Second, one of those gentlemen specifically requested my presence. But you refused to comply. That was not your decision to make, it's mine. I take offense to the fact that you would presume to know my wishes. You should have called or had me paged and let me decide whether to come or not." Kel crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"And last but not least, when I approached you and asked you to meet me here with your supervisor, you started to argue with me. I don't know who you think you are, but the last time I checked I was Head of the ER and as such, one of your supervisors. When I gave you a directive, you should have instantly complied." Kel took a deep breath. "Before we're done here, I want you to know one thing. If you were ever unfortunate enough to be in a fire or an accident, those gentlemen up there, who you treated so rudely and callously would, to a man do whatever it takes to try to save your life. Now, if you'll please step out of the room," Kel stated firmly, indicating the door with his hand.

Mary Smelling was shaken. She had finally realized, the magnitude of what she'd done and who she'd done it to. As she sat with people waiting to be seen in the ER, she contemplated what line of work she might like to try. She knew her career as a nurse was effectively over and she had no one to blame, but herself.

XXXXXXX

When they entered the room, Roy immediately went to Johnny's side and picked up his hand. "Hey Junior," he said softly as he gave a squeeze; at least it was warmer than last night but now it was almost too warm. He gazed intently at his friend. While Johnny still looked extremely pale, his coloring was no longer the ghastly hue it had been last night. His cheeks were lightly blushed with fever. The bruise on his temple stood out starkly. He could only imagine the kaleidoscope of colors it would turn in the days to come. Roy felt his throat tighten when Cap leaned down on Johnny's other side and whispered, "We're here for you, son."

Hank looked at all of his men as surrogate son's, but Johnny more so than the others. Johnny's strong willed independence and carefree spirit had sparked a chord in him that even he couldn't explain. Though Johnny would be appalled to hear anyone say it, he always had an air of vulnerability and longing to him that pulled people to him. It was hard to define but sometimes you could see it in his eyes or in his mannerisms. At times he was like a lost, lonely child looking for someplace to fit in. Part of it had to do with Johnny's past. Losing his parents to a car accident at the tender age of 7 had left an indelible mark. From that point on his life had consisted of being shuffled from one foster placement to the next; never staying in any one place for long. The 'father figures' he did come in contact with were usually either abusive or chronically drunk. Under their hands, the abuse he had suffered made him wary and unsure. Trust was a hard thing to gain from John Gage, but once earned you had it for life. Over the years, he had started turning to his captain for advice and guidance and with each step earned, their relationship had solidified.

Now, looking down at his youthful charge, Cap wanted to rail at the fates that brought them to this point. It was bad enough the number of times John was injured on the job, but this was almost unfathomable. As he looked at the broken body before him he cringed at the thought of what John was faced with, even without complications. In the past, John had proven what a strong and resilient person he was. Cap prayed he'd find the wherewithal to do it again. He looked over and saw his concern mirrored in Roy's face. As he looked at the preternaturally still body he said, "It's hard to see him so still. It's so un-Gage like."

Roy gave a rueful grin. "Yeah, it's certainly a change from his usual frenetic pace."

…_voices…_

…_he thought he heard voices…_

…_they were familiar and comforting…_

…_comfort changed to pain…_

…_never ending and all consuming…_

Roy felt Johnny's hand twitch. He looked closely and noticed increased eye movement behind Johnny's eyelids. "Cap, go find a nurse—quick. I think the sedation's wearing off," he ordered looking at the monitors. Johnny's heart rate was climbing as Cap raced out of the room. "Hey Junior, it's okay. I've got you. You're okay," he soothingly repeated.

The heart monitor alarm rang out as a nurse came rushing in followed quickly by Cap. She quickly cleaned off the port on the central line and shot in a sedative before turning off the alarm. Roy continued to talk soothingly to Johnny as the nurse busied herself taking Johnny's vitals. Roy looked over at the heart monitor again. The rate was slowing but as he watched, the wave changed to a squiggly line then back again as the alarm once again went off. The nurse quickly shut off the alarm as she read the strip. "I'm going to go have Dr. Brackett paged. I'll be right back," she said then quickly left the room.

"Roy?" Cap questioned his voice tinged with concern.

"He's having an arrhythmia again. He had several last night, but they were able to get them under control using medication," Roy explained.

"Is it serious?" Cap's level of concern was steadily rising.

Roy gave a reassuring smile. "It can lead to something serious, but Brackett wasn't too concerned last night."

The nurse returned and informed them that Dr. Brackett was on his way. The words were barely out of her mouth when Brackett came charging in. His sole focus—Johnny. The nurse relayed her findings and everything she'd done while he started assessing. "Roy?" he asked questioningly.

Roy relayed all that had happened up until that point. After examining Johnny and looking over the chart, Kel said, "Let's hang a Lidocaine drip," to the nurse. As she scurried to comply, Kel looked over at Roy and Cap. "I'm relatively certain the arrhythmia was caused by Johnny's level of pain and awareness. To be on the safe side, we'll give him Lidocaine continuously. As usual, Johnny's fighting the sedation. Looking over his chart he wasn't due for more for another hour so we'll monitor and adjust as we need," he said reassuringly. "Nurse, what was his temp?"

"101.3 Doctor," she replied.

Kel's mouth twitched. "Start alcohol baths every hour," he replied as he wrote in the chart. Roy's tentative "Doc?" brought his head up. "I don't like how quickly his temperature's rising. I just got the labs back. They confirmed pneumonia and I've just changed his antibiotics. Now the only thing we can do is try to control his temperature until the antibiotics start working," he said solemnly.

Cap's brows rose as he looked over at Roy then down at Johnny. _'Damn…just what he needs,' _he thought morosely.

Roy stuttered, "What exactly are you saying, Doc?" he felt like the floor was going to swallow him whole.

Seeing the impact of his words on Roy, he said comfortingly, "I don't mean to be fatalistic. Remember Johnny's young and strong and has a lot going for him. Not the least of which is a whole roomful of people pulling for him. This is just one of those hurdles we need to overcome."

Roy relaxed somewhat at the explanation.

Kel gave a comforting pat to Roy's shoulder. "We'll get there, Roy. It just might take some time," he said kindly. "Hank, Roy, I wanted you to know that Nurse Smelling has been dismissed." At their astonished looks, he continued, "This was not the first time she's been told about her attitude. According to her supervisor, this was the fourth time in under a month. That is unacceptable."

Hank held out his hand as he responded, "Thanks Dr. Brackett. While I'd rather not have seen anyone fired, I can't in good conscience, condone behavior that I would not accept from my own men." A nurse walked in with a basin and towels. Hank looked at Roy and asked, "Why don't we go get some coffee?" Roy nodded and leaned over, telling Johnny that they'd be back shortly. Hank looked at Kel and said, "We'll be back in a little while," he gave Johnny a final glance before following Roy.


	13. Chapter 13

**An Act of Friendship**

**Chapter 13**

When they entered the waiting room, they found Mike to be the only one from 51s there. At Cap's questioning look, he responded, "Chet went with Marco to the Chapel. They should be back shortly."

Hank nodded his approval. Many times he wished he had Marco's strong conviction in his faith. It wasn't that he wasn't religious. Sure, he believed in God and went to church with his family. He just didn't have the same kind of certitude as Marco. He saw how much it soothed and comforted the younger man, and at times like these, he yearned for that kind of steadfast assurance.

Rubbing his hands together, he said, "I think I'm going to head down to the cafeteria for some coffee. Do you fellas want any?" Cap acknowledged Roy's nod before turning to Mike.

Mike stood up. "Actually, if you guys don't mind I'm going to head on home for a while and get some sleep. I already talked to Marco and Chet and, if it's okay with you guys, I'll be back this evening to sit with Johnny." At Cap's acknowledgement, he said, "Call me if you need me."

"I'll be back shortly, Roy," Hank said then followed Mike out.

Roy sat for a brief while before Brackett came and got him. As Roy followed him into Johnny's room, the smell of alcohol permeated the air. "How is he, Doc?" Roy questioned.

Kel shook his head as he looked at the ground. "His temperature is still rising," he said. Looking up he saw worried blue eyes. "Give it time, Roy," he said offering what hope he could.

"Doc, did Brice ever make it up?" he questioned.

"Yeah, he came in after a run at about 3 o'clock in the morning. He looked bushed, but I think the visit helped. He seemed more relaxed when he left," Kel confirmed.

"That's good."

"Well, I'd better get back downstairs. You know where to find me if you need me." Kel clapped Roy on the shoulder before leaving.

Roy pulled the hard plastic chair closer to Johnny's bed before sitting down. "I told you I'd be back, Junior," he said as he clasped Johnny's hand. Looking over his friend, he noted his cheeks were redder than before. His eyes wandered around the room. He was pleased to see that the blood products had been discontinued. His gaze then roamed up and down his friend as the machines created a strange cacophony that was almost soothing in its timbre.

"Joanne said to say 'Hey'. She wanted to come see you, but right now she's running a slight fever and Brackett won't allow it. She doesn't even know yet and I'm sure she's not going to be happy about it." He chuckled as he thought of the battle he was going to have with his strong willed wife. "We had a meeting with Chief McConnikee this morning. He said the accident will fall under your original workers' comp. claim, so you don't have to worry about not having a paycheck. I know when you're cooped up in here you always worry about your ranch, but everything is taken care of. I'll go over to your place in a day or so and see if any bills need paid. Tom told Stoker to let you know that the horses are fine and he hopes you're feeling better soon. I understand you had a visit from Brice last night, I bet you were thrilled with that. But seriously, he's not as bad as I once thought. There may be hope for him yet." Roy lapsed into silence when a nurse came in and did a vitals check. "How high is it?" he questioned as she read the thermometer.

"It's 102.7," she replied kindly before tucking in Johnny's covers and walking out.

Roy spoke softly to his friend, encouraging him to get well. He spoke about the kids, the next project for the house, the last runs he had been on; he spoke about anything and everything he could think of. When his voice finally gave way, he sat quietly holding his friends hand. Letting him know he was not alone. Eventually, Marco and Chet came in. They all talked quietly for a while before Roy decided to go check on Joanne. Before he left, he leaned down close to Johnny's ear and whispered, "You behave, Junior. I don't want to hear that you gave Chet or Marco a hard time. I'll be back later on."

XXXXXXX

Emily Stanley quietly opened the door and peered in. Joanne lay on the bed, sound asleep. Emily tiptoed quietly to the chair and sat down to wait for her friend to wake. She gazed intently. Joanne had a large bandage over her left temple. Around the edges of the bandage was a dark purple bruise, it reminded Emily of a starburst. Her coloring looked good, if a tad on the pale side with two half-dollar sized round, pink spots in the middle of each cheek. Emily was just about to put her hand on Joanne's forehead when her head turned to the side and a soft moan escaped.

…_It was a beautiful, warm sunny day. Evergreen, Oak and Pine trees stood sentinel, silent guardians of the beauty and serenity of this place. A gentle breeze played throughout the trees and lightly ruffled her hair. The gentle drone of insects and birds filled the air, creating a soft melody that blended with the wind, a veritable symphony of life. Wafting through the air was the sweet fragrance of the many beautiful wildflowers that spread beneath her feet. A rainbow of reds, oranges, yellows, and purples interspersed with the lush, verdant grass. She was enjoying the beautiful day; her bare toes digging into the soft, spongy surface. In front of her, tall mountains majestically rose, their stiff peaks touching the bright blue sky. At the foot of the mountains was a large, pristine lake. She stood on a gentle rise overlooking the water, which was a vibrant shade of blue. The reflection of white, wispy clouds lightly dotted the surface. On the one side, a wooden pier jutted out partway into the lake. Someone in a wheelchair sat at the end of the pier. She looked closer and realized it was Johnny sitting in the chair. His arm and leg encased in their bright, white casts. She called out to him, but he must not have heard her. He sat peering into the water. She called out again, "Johnny…hey, Johnny…" His head rose and he gave a half-grin. He lifted his left arm and sketched a quick wave. She smiled as she returned the gesture and started meandering down the hill. She heard a loud groan then a sharp crack. The section of the pier that was closest to the grass slowly lifted up, tilting the whole pier toward the water. Her eyes widened in horror as the wheelchair with Johnny in it rolled slowly into the water. He never tried to move or call for help. She screamed out as his head disappeared beneath the surface. She ran as fast as her legs would carry her down the slope. When she reached the edge, she dove headlong into the water. She was shocked to find it was icy cold and almost stole her breath away. She kicked as hard and as fast as she could, her arms slicing through the surface. When she got to where she'd last seen him, she took a deep breath and plunged down into the icy depths. For as clear and beautiful as the surface looked, the depths were murky and dark. She thought she saw a glimpse of white up ahead. Her lungs started burning as she kicked harder, plunging deeper into the inky darkness. The darkness coalesced into the form of her friend. His back was to her and his dark hair wove and swayed as if with a life of its own. She turned him in her arms. His eyes were open. The rich, espresso color now appeared muddy and dirty as they peered lifelessly straight ahead. His usual bronzed, sun kissed skin was white and chalky. The normally expressive face was slack and inanimate, a grotesque parody. The mouth which was usually formed into that famous Gage half-grin was open and lax. As she watched in dread, a long, slithery snakelike eel swam out of his mouth. She opened her mouth and screamed…_

"NOOOOO…" Joanne screamed as she bolted upright in her bed. Her heart was pounding hard and fast as she gulped great mouthfuls of air, trying to fill her lungs. She swayed as the room spun dizzily before her and her head began to pound. Her body trembled as her stomach churned and bile rose in her throat. She opened her eyes and looked into the worried blue eyes of Emily Stanley.

When Joanne screamed, Emily stood and leaned over her. Deeply concerned she asked, "Dear, are you okay?" She reached out a hand and placed it on Joanne's cheek. She could feel her quivering like a leaf in a windstorm. Sitting on the bed next to Joanne, she folded her into her arms.

Joanne tried to nod that she was okay, but she was frozen, her body unwilling to comply. Tears formed in her eyes and spilled over as she felt Emily's arms wrap around her. Sobs tore out of her in gut wrenching agony as images from her nightmare floated through her mind. "Oh…oh…G-God….h-h-he was…d-dead…oh…ohh…I-I couldn't g-get to h-him in time…" spewed out of her as her soul cringed in torment.

"Who couldn't you get to?" Emily questioned softly as she started rocking Joanne. She stroked her hair hoping to soothe her.

"J-J-Johnny."

"Shhh, it's okay, Jo. John's not dead. It's not real, it was just a dream," she soothed repeatedly as she rocked Joanne back and forth. She rested her chin on Joanne's forehead and felt the heat emanating from her.

When Joanne finally calmed down, Emily pulled back slightly and asked, "Are you okay now?" Troubled green eyes looked at her.

Joanne hesitantly nodded and said, "Oh Em, it was so real. Johnny drowned in this lake. I tried to get to him, but he was already gone and this eel swam out of his mouth." A shiver ran down her spine at the memory.

"Joanne. I promise you, Johnny is alive. This was just a bad dream," Emily assured her.

Joanne scrubbed the tears off her face. Embarrassment and humiliation warred within her as she realized she was sobbing like a little girl into her husband's boss's wife's arms.

Emily noticed the sudden flush that reddened Joanne's cheeks. "Now this was nothing to be embarrassed about," she stated firmly. As Joanne lowered her eyes, Emily put a hand on her chin and raised her face. She looked her straight in the eye. "Do you honestly think that I became a Captain's wife without some night terrors of my own?" she asked candidly.

"Really?"

"Honest to Pete. I could probably tell you some tales that would curl your toes. And of course I've had nightmares about each of Hank's boys; especially Johnny. That boy knows how to get in trouble like no other," she said as she shook her head.

Joanne sighed. "Don't I know it. But I…"

"No buts. Cut yourself some slack, Jo," she said kindly. "You've just been through an incredibly horrific and traumatic event. On top of that you're ill." She stood up and moved back to the chair. "Quite honestly, I think I'd be more concerned if you didn't have some nightmares," she joked lightly. A brief smile crossed Joanne's face. "Now that that is settled, how are you feeling?" Emily saw Roy slip into the room and stand next to the door.

Joanne shrugged lightly, "I'm okay," she stated. Truth be told, her head was pounding to beat the band and she thought it was extremely warm in her room.

Emily gave her a pointed stare. "Truth please," she requested.

Joanne sighed heavily. "Alright. My head is pounding and feels like it's going to split in two and I'm hot. But please, don't tell Roy," she begged.

"Why ever not?" Emily asked puzzled.

"I'd like to hear the answer to that myself," said Roy as he neared the bed.

Joanne jumped at the sound of her husband's voice. She gave a sheepish grin. "I wanted to go see Johnny," she replied honestly.

Roy sighed. "I already spoke to Brackett about that. You both have a fever and Doc doesn't want to chance it," he explained.

Joanne's eyes widened as she and Emily said simultaneously, "How bad?"

"Almost 103," Roy replied.

"Oh dear," Emily said then looked at Roy. "Is Hank still up there?" At Roy's nod, she stood up. "If you're okay Joanne, I'm going to go upstairs."

Joanne nodded. "Of course. Give Johnny a kiss for me?" She asked disappointed that she couldn't go herself. She understood Dr. Brackett's reasoning, but she longed to see her 'little brother'.

Emily gave a quick nod before she left the room.


	14. Chapter 14

**An Act of Friendship**

**Chapter 14**

Roy walked over to Joanne and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "You feel pretty warm, sweetheart. I'm going to go get a nurse," he said and walked out. He returned momentarily with a nurse in tow and sat down while the nurse checked Joanne's vitals. "What is it?" he questioned as the nurse read the thermometer.

"100.3. I'm going to go get your meds and I'll be right back."

Joanne sighed heavily and gazed forlornly at Roy.

Roy straightened in his chair at the look on his wife's face. "What's wrong honey?" he questioned worriedly.

Her eyes filled with tears. "I know this sounds stupid, but I just really wanted to see Johnny." Ever since she'd woken up she'd felt a compelling need to see him. She supposed it was her way of fighting off the nightmare and assuring herself that he was okay. She realized she was being childish and felt foolish for her behavior, but she couldn't seem to control it. A single tear traced down her cheek.

Roy could see how upset she was becoming. He sat on the bed, facing her. Gently, he rubbed the tear track from her cheek with his thumb. "Hey. You'll get to see him, it might be a couple of days though," he softly assured her.

"I know. Oh, I don't know what's wrong with me," she complained as she burst into tears. She felt his strong arms surround her and heard his whispered "Shhhh." The safety and security she felt soothed her raw nerves. When she felt as if she had better control, she pulled back and said, "I'm sorry."

"There's no reason to be sorry. You're tired, in pain, and don't feel well. I think you just need some rest…"

"NO! I don't want to sleep." Her eyes widened as her breathing increased. She laid her head back against the pillow.

Roy was puzzled by Joanne's behavior. He could hear her almost panting for breath and saw the wide, fearful look in her eyes. Alarmed, he questioned her until reluctantly, she told him of the terrible nightmare she'd had. He soothed and allayed her fears as they talked about Johnny and his condition. Roy assured her that as soon as Brackett gave his approval, he would take her to see Johnny. Shortly thereafter, the nurse walked in with her meds. Joanne took them and soon felt the pounding in her head recede. She yawned sleepily as her eyelids grew heavy. Roy gave her a kiss and told her to take a nap. He promised he would be there when she woke. Unable to fight the feeling any longer, Joanne closed her eyes and fell asleep.

XXXXXXX

Emily walked into the crowded waiting room and spotted her husband. As she walked toward him she noted that he looked exhausted. Dark rings circled his eyes and his shoulders slumped as if the weight of the world were resting on them. As she approached, he stood and gave her a gentle kiss. "How's our boy?" she worriedly questioned. She might tease her husband about the depths of his feelings for his men, but truth be told, she felt the same way. They were all like sons to her also.

"Marco and Chet are in with him now, but last I checked, his temperature was still rising." Lines of fatigue were etched across his face.

"How high is it?" she questioned apprehensively.

"102.7"

Emily frowned at this bit of information. She'd talked to Hank earlier in the day and knew that his fever had risen significantly. "Do you think I could see him?" she asked hopefully.

Hank looked his wife in the eye. "Are you sure?" He'd already told her how bad Johnny looked. But he knew that hearing about it and actually seeing it were two different things. At her nod, he went to the nurse and asked her to check with Dr. Brackett. A short while later, the nurse came back and said it would be okay. He accompanied Emily into the ICU ward and helped her with the protective gear, before putting on his own. Hank followed his wife into the room, but was brought up short when she suddenly stopped and gasped. Her hand rose to her mouth. He put a comforting arm around her shoulder as he looked down into her face, or at least what he could see of her face. Her sky blue eyes filled with tears.

"Oh Dear Lord," she uttered stunned. Like Hank and the guys, she'd seen Johnny numerous times as he recuperated from injury or illness, but nothing anyone could have said would have prepared her for this. She took a deep breath, calming herself and willing away the tears. As she stood frozen, collecting herself, Marco came over and gave her a big hug and kiss on the cheek, followed closely by Chet. She gave Chet's hands a quick squeeze and then turned to Johnny. She walked over and gently kissed his forehead. "Well now, you sure know how to keep us hopping young man," she scolded fondly as she brushed the dark bangs back, stroking his forehead. "You have a lot of people who are anxious for you to get better. So you'd better get to it right now, young man." She looked up at Hank. "Would you get me a wet washcloth, honey?" As Hank went to do her bidding, Marco and Chet said they would be in the waiting room. They each gave Johnny a quick pat on his good leg before leaving.

"Here dear," Hank said as he strode into the room and handed her the washcloth. He walked around to the other side of the bed and rested his hand on Johnny's shoulder.

Emily gently wiped the sweat off Johnny's face and neck. "There now, I bet that feels better," she said. All done, she set the washcloth aside. She went back to stroking his forehead as she looked over at her husband. "How's everyone holding up?"

Hank shrugged his shoulders. "Tired. Worried. Judging by the amount of tossing and turning I heard last night, I don't think any of us slept very well." He looked down at Johnny. "He really has me worried this time, Em," he admitted as he looked up in dismay.

Emily saw the fear and uncertainty in his eyes and gave him a sympathetic look. She reached out her hand and when Hank grabbed it, she squeezed hard. "Hank – remember Johnny is young and strong. I don't think we've ever met a man who was more determined in our lives. He just needs a little time." She shook his hand firmly as her eyes glinted with a steely determination. "Now, don't you give up on him! He needs you – he needs all of us." At his hesitant nod, she gave a soft smile. Her eyes narrowed in thought. "When was the last time you ate?"

Hank looked deeply into her beautiful blue eyes and felt the love and encouragement that was shining through. Some of the tension he'd been feeling drained away. He gave a sheepish grin, "The guys and I grabbed some coffee and donuts when we first got here." It was well past lunchtime and he knew what was coming next.

Emily gave him a pointed look. "I want you to go get Chet and Marco and take them to the cafeteria. I'll stay here with Johnny," she insisted.

Hank sighed gustily. "Yes dear," he replied. He patted Johnny's shoulder gently. "You behave with my wife, pal." He looked at his wife. "I'll be back shortly," he said then turned and left.

Emily bent down and gazed intently at Johnny, her heart going out to him. She continued the soft, rhythmic stroking of his hair as she started softly humming an Irish lullaby her grandmother used to sing to her.

…_voices_

…_pain_

…_crashing into him_

Emily continued humming as the nurse came in and quickly inserted a syringe into Johnny's IV port. Giving a brief smile, the nurse walked out.

…_music…he thought he heard music_

…_it flowed over him…drowning out the pain_

…_filling him with warmth _

…_and comfort…_

She wasn't sure how long she stood there, sharing the songs of her youth before an x-ray technician came trundling in, pushing his cumbersome equipment ahead of him.

XXXXXXX

Mike Stoker dragged himself hesitantly into Johnny's cubicle. It was going to be a long night. He'd gone home for a couple of hours hoping to get some rest. But sadly, he'd found sleep to be not only elusive, but fleeting. After about 3 or 4 hours, he got up and grabbed a quick shower. He then went to Johnny's ranch to make sure everything was okay and brought Tom up to speed on Johnny's condition. Tom took care of the horses, but because of an old injury, was unable to ride. So, while he was there, Mike decided to take Johnny's favorite horse, Blaze, out to stretch his legs. By the time they returned, Mike had just enough time to put Blaze up for the night before heading back to Rampart.

Mike chuckled when he saw Marco, asleep on a chair, his head resting on Johnny's bed. Afraid of startling him, Mike gently shook his shoulder as he softly called his name. Bloodshot eyes blinked owlishly at him as they struggled to focus. "Sorry, Marco. It's time you go home," Mike said apologetically.

Marco rubbed his eyes, trying to wake up. He couldn't believe he'd fallen asleep like that. He stretched the kinks out of his neck as he started his report. "Things have been pretty quiet. Dr. Brackett stopped in earlier and said if Johnny's fever continues to rise, he's going to have to order a cooling blanket. The last time it was checked, it was 103.2." He covered his mouth with his hand as he yawned loudly. "Roy was up around 4. I guess if everything goes okay, Joanne should be released some time tomorrow morning. He said he'd be back up later and Chet said he'd be back around 1 and he'd take the rest of the night. Cap said he'll be in first thing in the morning." Marco stood and stretched. "You need anything before I head out?" he questioned. Seeing Mike's head shake, he bent closer to Johnny. "Hasta mañana, mi amigo."

"See you tomorrow," Mike called as Marco headed out the door. He looked down at his friend. "Hey buddy, I'm here. I took Blaze out for a nice run today. I can tell he really misses you, so you'd better do all you can to get well." Mike squeezed Johnny's hand before sitting in the hard plastic chair. He stretched his legs out as he made himself as comfortable as possible. Peering at his friend, he noticed that Johnny looked paler than before and his cheeks were flushed and angry looking. Sweat beaded his brow and the chest tube seemed to be draining a lot of fluid, it bubbled incessantly. Sitting there, Mike thought about his and Johnny's friendship.

It was funny, of all the men of 51s, Johnny was the complete antithesis of Mike. Where Johnny was loud and boisterous, Mike was quiet and contemplative. Johnny was hyper and constantly in motion while Mike was calm and serene. Johnny was quick to anger and quick to forgive while Mike was slow to anger and slow to forgive. In some ways, they were complete opposites. However, over the years, they had found they had many things in common and though most people didn't realize it, next to Roy, Mike was Johnny's closest friend.

Each had a common love of nature and being outdoors. They'd gone on numerous camping and fishing trips and during these trips, a deep understanding and respect had developed. Mike fondly recalled one of the last times they'd gone camping. Actually, it was a trip that all the guys of 51s had attended. It was in the middle of a scorching hot summer and Johnny forgot to bring his swimsuit. Everyone went down to the swimming hole to try to cool off and, at first, Johnny said he would just sit on the bank while they all swam. But as the temperature rose, the guys started egging him on, particularly Chet. Johnny got so worked up at Chet's heckling that he turned around and quickly peeled off his jeans, determined to swim in his boxers. When he turned back around, they all were staring at him their mouths hanging open. Johnny stood there in black boxers that had big, red lips all over them. They were a gag gift from his current girlfriend and he'd forgot that he'd put them on. Everyone burst out laughing as Johnny's face turned as red as the lips. Chet called Johnny "Hot Lips Houlihan" and they all laughed harder. Needless to say, the phantom had a field day for the rest of the summer with his pigeon. Mike shook his head as he remembered how fake lips showed up all over the station.

Mike's reverie was broken by the sound of an alarm. He jumped to his feet as a nurse rushed in.

She switched off the alarm on the ventilator. Pulling the suction wand from the wall, she disconnected the tubing to Johnny's vent and stuck the wand down his airway. She looked up into Mike's wide eyes. "It's okay. I just need to suction out some of the mucous."

"Is that normal?" Mike asked concerned.

"Yes, we have to do this periodically. But now that pneumonia has set in, we'll have to do it more often." She put the wand back in its holder on the wall and reconnected the tubing to the vent. She did a vitals check. Looking at Mike sympathetically, she said, "I'm going to page Dr. Brackett, his fever is still rising."

Mike nodded as she left the room. He picked up Johnny's hand. "C'mon Johnny, you've got to fight," he said firmly, wishing he could give his friend some of his strength.


	15. Chapter 15

**An Act of Friendship**

**Chapter 15**

Chet walked quickly and purposefully through the Emergency Room doors of Rampart. His arms pumped vigorously, matching the rhythm of his legs. He was way too early to go up with Johnny, but he didn't know where else to go. He really wished it wasn't so late; he wanted to talk to Marco. Earlier, he'd gone home and had a long nap, but for the last hour he'd paced relentlessly back and forth in the confines of the small living room of his apartment before realizing he couldn't stay at home any longer. By the time he'd left, he'd felt like a caged animal, desperate for any means of escape, ready to kick and claw and rend and tear his way out.

Habit had led him to the Emergency Room entrance. He walked through eerily quiet halls. The normal hustle and bustle completely and utterly absent. The sterile, antiseptic smell of the ER assaulted his senses as he approached the head nurse's desk. Dixie stood, her back to him, head bent over the paperwork she was concentrating on. He stood there, shifting from foot to foot for a few moments before softly clearing his throat. "Excuse me, Miss McCall," he said tentatively. She spun around quickly and her blue eyes held a warm glow as she questioned him, "Good evening, Chet. What can I do for you tonight?" Jamming his hands in his pocket, his head dropped to stare at the floor. His foot scuffed back and forth.

Dixie gazed at the curly haired fireman. It was patently obvious that his nerves were on edge. He had an aura about him that practically vibrated with frenetic energy. His eyes darted everywhere, not resting on any one thing for long. Absently, he chewed the edge of his mustache as his body shifted from one position to the next. At that moment, he reminded her so much of Johnny that she had to bite the inside of her mouth to keep from saying something.

"I was just wondering if you knew how Johnny was," he asked imploringly, eyes filled with hope darted to her face.

Dixie pursed her lips as she fought down a smile. For as antagonistic as their relationship appeared on the surface, Dixie was well aware of the depth of feelings that existed between Chet and Johnny. Giving a small smile, she replied, "I just peeked in on him about 15 minutes ago. His fever's still rising so Kel ordered a cooling blanket, but other than that, he's doing the same." Wishing she could give a more favorable answer, Dixie placed a comforting hand on Chet's arm, rubbing gently up and down. She sensed the disquietude rolling off him in waves. "You're here early," she observed. Arching a brow, she asked, "Why don't you buy this old broad a cup of coffee?"

"Sure," Chet stammered in relief. He followed Dixie into the Doctors' Lounge and sat as she poured them each a cup. "Thanks," he replied with a small smile as the steaming cup was placed in front of him. He wrapped his hands around it and felt the heat travel up his fingers, soothing his jangling nerves.

Dixie looked at him questioningly. "Better?" She sat back in her chair, waiting him out.

He gazed into the depths of the rich aromatic brew, steeling himself for what he was about to ask. Brow furrowed, he looked at Dixie pleadingly. "Johnny, he's…um…he's going to be…o - okay, isn't he? I mean he's…he's…he's not gonna die or anything – is he?" His stomach churned as he awaited her answer.

Placing a hand on his forearm, Dixie soothed. "Chet." She looked into beseeching blue eyes. "You know I can't answer that question. What I can tell you is that Johnny has a lot going for him. He's young and healthy. Why he's more resilient than anyone I've ever met."

Chet's shoulders lowered as tension drained from him, but his face still held a troubled expression.

"We're doing everything we can for him," Dixie comforted. Changing the subject, she said, "If I didn't know better, I'd think the phantom might actually care about his pigeon."

Chet grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, well that cover was blown a long time ago," he admitted thinking of the many times his pigeon was almost a dead duck.

"Can I ask you a question?" Chet nodded as he looked at her in concern.

"Why do you always prank Johnny?" She'd often wondered about this, but this was the first opportunity she'd ever had to question Chet. She'd once asked Johnny, but he'd just shrugged his shoulders and said 'it is what it is'.

Chet could feel the heat rise in his cheeks. He thought about making some lame excuse, but knew that Dixie would call him on it. She had an uncanny way of reading people. Also, he knew that to lie about it, would do a disservice to Johnny and with him being so ill, it just didn't feel right.

He took a deep breath before he began. "I know you're gonna find this hard to believe, but I've always been a prankster." He chuckled when Dixie rolled her eyes. "Even in grade school I was always in the Sister's Office for some stunt I pulled." He clasped his hands around his cup and stared into it. He took a deep breath as he prepared to bare his soul. "I'm ashamed to admit it, but when we first started at 51s, I was jealous and envious of Johnny." He looked up quickly, expecting to see pity or scorn in Dixie's eyes, but what he saw instead was a deep compassion and understanding. "Man, the guy was just so…so likeable," his tone indicated this was not a good thing. "Everyone felt instantly comfortable with him, you know, and I'm not even talkin about when he goes into paramedic mode." He shook his head thinking of the calm, comforting persona John became on a run. "And he was so tall and good looking…or at least that's what everybody said." He waggled his brows. "Personally, he's really not my type," he joked as he batted his eyes. One brow rose as Dixie gave him a sardonic look. He continued, "that and the chicks really dug him." His face flamed once again. "I know that sounds really dumb, but take it from a 'short, stocky guy' there is somethin to be said for people's perception and height. And ya gotta admit the man really has a way with the babes. He just smiles that weird kind of lazy smile and they practically melt into a puddle." His arm flapped in the air showing his irritation at the vagaries of women.

Dixie coughed, hiding the smile she could no longer hold back behind her hand. Once she had herself under control, she lowered her hand and took a quick sip of coffee. "Okay. That explains why you started, Chet, but why continue to prank him?"

Chet stood up and walked to the window, thinking of how to answer her. He looked out into the dark, almost deserted parking lot. "Ya know Miss McCall, I've often wondered the same thing." He shrugged his shoulders as he sighed heavily. "It's kinda hard to explain. But even back when it first started, Johnny never got mad. Yeah, he'd bluster and spout off and pretend to be mad, but ya could tell he really wasn't. A couple a months after I first started pranking him, Captain Hammer came down on me real hard for it; even threatened to suspend me if I didn't cool it. So, I try turning the volume down, you know, laying low and next thing I know Johnny acts like he's all hurt that I haven't 'got' him." Shaking his head, he remembered how confusing the whole situation left him. He turned his head back to look at Dixie. He wasn't sure if she would understand what he was about to say, heck he wasn't sure that he understood what he was about to say. "It's almost as if me singling him out makes him feel special…like he means something; weird as that sounds."

Dixie pondered Chet's statement for a few moments. "I don't think that sounds 'weird' at all. In fact, it makes perfect sense," Dixie admitted. At Chet's questioning look she continued, "You know Johnny's past. It probably does make him feel special, and we all know he didn't have a lot of that growing up."

Chet turned around, walked back over to the table and slumped down into his seat. He thought over what Dixie had said carefully. Finally, the puzzle pieces fit together. She was right. He'd never given Johnny's past much thought other than to feel sorry that he'd had to live through something like that. Looking at it from the perspective of a child who was abused and pawned off from one situation to the next, it did make sense that attention, whether good or bad, would be something that person would crave. As he thought about it, his heart lightened. He sat up straighter. Maybe in some small way, even if it had started for the wrong reasons, he'd made his friend happier and more secure. A small smile played across his lips.

Dixie watched the wash of emotions play over Chet's face and saw the subtle change in body language. _'Mission accomplished – in the span of one cup of coffee – from nervous nelly to calm, cool and collected – or at least as calm, cool and collected as Chet will ever be. Those nurses up in ICU have no idea how much they owe me,'_ she thought drily.

"Hey thanks, Dix. Johnny's right – you're the greatest," Chet said earnestly as he rose. He picked up his cup and placed it in the sink, noting the pink blush that stained Dixie's cheeks.

"Well, thanks Chet. That's the nicest thing anyone's said to me all day." She glanced down at her watch. "Times up, it's back to the grind for me and I think you have a friend who needs you."

Chet grinned broadly. "See ya later, Dix," he said then strutted out of the room.

'_Hose jockeys,'_ Dixie thought as she cleaned her own cup.

XXXXXXX

Joanne looked over at Roy and smiled happily. She inhaled the sweet tang of freshly mown hay. Newly cropped fields, a patchwork of browns and light greens, dotted the landscape as they passed by.

Dr. Early had come in first thing this morning and released her to go home, with an admonishment to rest. Fortunately, pneumonia had never developed and all she had was a simple cold. The aches and pains were receding and the headache was much more tolerable compared to how she had felt. She was anxious to get home and couldn't wait until this afternoon to see the kids when they came home from school. She had really missed them. The only dark spot to her day was that Dr. Brackett still refused to let her see Johnny. He had promised that she could come back for a visit in two days as long as nothing new developed.

Roy slowed down to match the car ahead of him. They were chatting amiably trying to decide how full their freezer would be when they got home. The dark smell of damp earth and decay stole into the car as he noticed the "Work Ahead" sign by the side of the road. Looking ahead he saw the bridge and cursed himself for the fool that he was. In his excitement to take Joanne home, he'd never thought to take a different route home. He looked around but there was nowhere to turn around.

Joanne drew in a quick breath as she realized where they were. Roy's eyes swiveled to her, contrition plainly painted upon his face. Her pulse started to race as images of the accident floated through her mind.

Roy saw Joanne pale as they drove onto the bridge. "You okay, honey," he asked, concern lacing his voice. He clenched his jaw as traffic came almost to a standstill. The gurgling sound of the river and the deep rumble of equipment blended and filled the air.

Taking a deep breath, Joanne forcefully pushed the images racing through her mind away. "It's okay, Roy, really – I'm okay," she said as she gave a small smile. Ahead, she saw the oncoming lane was filled with orange traffic barrels. A single lane of traffic was alternated between the two flagmen. Heavy construction equipment was being unloaded and moved to the side of the road. They inched closer to the end of the bridge. "Roy, pull over. I want to see it," she beseeched.

'_Not a good idea,'_ he thought as he looked into pleading green eyes. "Joanne, I don't th…"

"Roy, I need to see it," she stated firmly, knowing that it would eat at her if she didn't. "Please."

Hating what he was about to do, he nodded as he grudgingly said, "Alright."

As they left the bridge he scanned the area for somewhere suitable to pull over. He drove a short distance ahead before finding a spot. As they got out, a construction worker came over and asked them to move. Roy showed his department ID and explained. The worker gave Joanne a sympathetic look before waving them on.

Roy put his arm around her shoulders. Looking deeply into her eyes, he waited until she nodded before he led her across the road. When they stopped a short distance from the edge, their shoes sank into the warm, moist earth.

Joanne gasped involuntarily as she looked down. It was steeper than she'd imagined with little pockets of vegetation, sprinkled here and there. Large, ugly gouges of earth were torn along the slope in a random pattern. She shifted as her feet sunk deeper. The sparsely treed bank had two long divots down to the water, a testament to the final slide. A shiver coursed down her spine as she looked out at the water. Trying to imagine where they'd come to rest. Warm arms wrapped around her as she heard Roy's voice ask, "You okay?" Soaking up the love and support, she replied, "God Roy, how did either of us survive?" Arms tightened around her.

Roy shook his head. Looking at the scene now, he wondered the same thing. "I don't honestly know," he admitted truthfully. They stood, his arms wrapped around her for a while before they quietly walked to the car and headed home.


	16. Chapter 16

Author's note: I have been to Saltillo, my brother-in-law was born and raised their. Kel's memories are some of my own.

**An Act of Friendship**

**Chapter 16**

Kel stopped inside the doorway to Johnny's ICU room. He had come to check on Johnny, but as soon as he entered the room, Marco Lopez bowed his head. In deference, he also bowed his head. A small smile played across his lips as Marco's deep voice started a prayer Kel had not heard in many years. He joined in,

"Dios te salve, María, llena eres de gracia,  
>el Señor es contigo.<br>Bendita tú eres entre todas las mujeres,  
>y bendito es el fruto de tu vientre, Jesús.<br>Santa María, Madre de Dios,  
>ruega por nosotros, pecadores,<br>ahora y en la hora de nuestra muerte.  
><em>Amen"<em>

Marco looked at him in shock. "I never knew you spoke Spanish," he stated.

Kel smiled as he explained, "I don't know much. But many years ago when I was an intern, I spent a little over six months in Misión San Francisco de Saltillo in Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico. As you can well imagine, I heard Hail Mary repeated many times during the day." He shrugged his shoulders. "Until you started saying it, I quite honestly thought I'd forgot it.""

Marco chuckled. At Kel's questioning look he responded, "I have several cousins that live in Saltillo and I've been their twice myself." Marco smiled sagely, "Besides Dr. Brackett, some things you never forget."

"Too true my friend," he replied as he traveled back to the eye opening experience. He had met some wonderful people on that trip, some he still kept in contact with. The courtesy and kindness they had extended to a young man who didn't understand the language or culture made a lasting impression.

He recalled the beautiful mountains that surrounded the city, their jagged peaks reaching up to the vivid, blue sky. The yucca and creosote dotting the dry, sandy soil, a sea of browns and greens as far as the eye could see. Agave lechuguilla plants with their spiky leaves raised to the sun. He could almost feel again the dry, arid heat that soaked deep into your bones and the crisp coolness when you went in the shade.

Marco could see the distant look in Kel's eyes. "Tell me…what do you remember most about being there?"

Kel thought for a few moments. His mouth watered at the remembered taste of the fresh mango and avocado that were a staple at every meal. And to this day, the smell of fresh cilantro reminded him of the pico de gallo that was generously spread over the tender, juicy barbacoa. A gentle smile played across his face as he recalled, "Mostly, I remember the people and the food. The thrice daily routine of the women, their arms coated in flour as they pressed and rolled the dough flat, creating fresh tortillas that were immediately heated and eaten. How warm and tender and fresh they were. I've tried on several occasions to get them here, but it's just not the same." He shook his head ruefully. "Once I even decided I'd help the women make the salsa. They let me crush the tomatillos and jalapenos in the heavy mortar and pestle." He blushed and looked down as he continued, "They laughed at me when I forgot and rubbed my mouth. My lips burnt so bad, I thought my skin would blister and peel off. Until then, I had never realized how potent jalapenos were." Kel laughed in embarrassment.

Marco chuckled then gave Kel a sympathetic look. He knew how much that hurt. "Don't worry. I've done that a time or two myself," he replied. Marco was amazed at the connection he felt with the good doctor at that moment. He looked closely at the dark circles under his eyes. He looked beyond tired and Marco decided he wanted to do something to thank him for helping his friend. He knew that part of it was his job, but Dr. Brackett had gone over and above what was expected of a doctor in caring for Johnny. Smiling, he announced, "When Johnny gets better and I have your okay, I'll have Mama bring a feast for all of us to share."

Kel was startled and touched by the offer. "No…that's not necessary," he replied.

Marco shook his head, "I know it's not necessary, but that is what friends do and that is what we're going to do. Besides, Mama has already been cooking up a storm for when Johnny gets well. She knows he loves her cooking and she'd be thrilled to share it with you too."

"If you're sure," Kel responded. Marco's eager nod sealed the deal. He patted Marco's shoulder as he said, "Alright, I would be honored to share a meal with you." Looking over at Johnny, he affectionately said, "But first, we have to get this guy feeling better."

He walked to the end of the bed and pulled Johnny's chart, quickly scanning the most recent notes. He replaced the chart then started his exam.

Marco sat quietly, praying there would be some positive news. As Dr. Brackett finished, he questioned, "Well…how is he?"

Kel put his hands in his pockets. "Well, his fever seems to be hovering right around 103.7. I was hoping that by now it would have started to come down." At the crestfallen look on Marco's face, he clarified, "That's not entirely bad, Marco. His fever hasn't risen in the last hour, either, which might seem like a small step. But at this point, we'll take what we can get." He watched as Marco relaxed slightly. "Well, I'm going to head back down to the ER. If you need me, just have me paged."

"Thanks, Dr. Brackett," Marco responded.

Kel smiled and walked toward the door. At the last minute, he turned, "Oh…and Marco?" At Marco's curious stare, he responded, "Thanks for bringing back good memories and keep saying those prayers."

XXXXXXX

Joanne paced anxiously in front of the living room window. The kids were due home at any time and she couldn't wait to see them. Two and a half days without them had seemed like an eternity. Hearing the sound of tinkling laughter, she raced to the front door and threw it open. Jenny was skipping up the sidewalk followed a short distance behind by Chris and Roy, deep in conversation. Jenny saw her first. Her sweet little face beamed with a huge smile as she ran to her screaming "Mommy!"

Joanne bent down and was almost bowled over by her 7-year-old dynamo of a daughter. Sucking in her breath at the ache in her ribs, she tightened her arms and felt tears of joy trickle down her cheeks. "Oh baby, I've missed you so much," she half-sobbed to her little girl.

Jenny placed little butterfly kisses all over her cheeks and wiped the tears with her little fingers as she prattled on, "Mommy, we missed you…Aunt Lini told us you were coming home today…I told teacher all about your accident and she had the whole class make cards…I have them in my backpack…and I made you the bestest and most specialist of cards…I put Daddy and you and Chris and me and Uncle Johnny…and Uncle Cap…and Uncle Chet…and Uncle Marco…and Uncle Mike on it…you should see it…let me get it out…and Tommy at school said you're lucky you only broke an arm cause his dad had an accident and he broke his leg and his arm and his collard bone…but I don't know where a collard bone is…I meant to ask Daddy…but I kept forgetting…"

Jenny was still talking up a storm as Joanne laughed at her exuberant little girl. She loosened her hold on Jenny as her 9-year-old son walked up. "Jenny…Jenny, let me give Chris a hug," she said as she set the little girl to the side. She saw the big smile Chris had on his face as he stood patiently waiting for her. He looked and acted so like Roy, that it brought a lump to her throat. "Hey little man, do you have a hug for your old mom?" she asked teasingly. His grin grew and he threw himself into her arms.

Squeezing her tightly, Chris said, "I missed you so much, Mommy. Every night Jenny and I said a special prayer for you and Uncle Johnny." He pulled away and looked around, "Is Uncle Johnny in his room?" he questioned.

Joanne felt a twinge of guilt at the innocent question. She looked up at Roy. He gave a subtle shake of his head. "C'mon, let's go get comfy on the couch," she said. Grabbing one of Chris's hands and one of Jenny's, she pulled them into the living room and sat them down on either side of her on the couch. Looking at her two beautiful children that she loved so much she said a silent prayer, thanking God for letting her see them again. Once settled, she looked Chris straight in the eye she said, "Chris, Uncle Johnny's still in the hospital. He got hurt worse than I did."

Jenny piped in, "Can we go see him?"

Joanne turned and kissed the top of Jenny's head. "No baby. He's too sick for you to see right now. Mommy isn't even allowed to see him," she explained. Glancing at Chris, she saw the concerned look that passed across his face. Knowing that of her two children, he was the worrier, she tried to ease his mind. "Daddy's been in to see him, but Dr. Brackett thought that maybe I had something that he didn't want Uncle Johnny to catch."

Chris visibly relaxed when he heard that his dad was able to see Uncle Johnny. At first, he'd thought he must be really bad…like dead kind of bad…if his mom wasn't allowed to see him. He looked over at his dad and saw the reassuring smile. "If I make him a card, will you take it to him?" he questioned.

"Me too…me too," Jenny begged.

Roy nodded his head, too choked up to speak. The love and concern his children had for his wayward partner never ceased to amaze him. From the moment they all had first met, there was this instant connection between the three of them. At times, Roy thought that if his partner had just been about 5 years younger, he would have adopted him. Reining in his emotions he responded. "I'll make sure Uncle Johnny gets whatever you want to send."

Jenny squealed, "Oh…I better go get my bestest crayons so I can make the prettiest picture." She jumped from the couch, took three steps then turned and ran back to Joanne. Giving her a big kiss and hug she announced, "I'm glad you're home, Mommy. I'll be up in my room making Uncle Johnny's card." And with that, she flew up the stairs.

Chris put his arms around his mom and gave a big hug. Reaching up, he placed a gentle kiss on his mom's cheek. He looked into her eyes seriously and asked, "Mommy, how come Uncle Johnny got hurt worse than you?"

Inwardly, Joanne cringed. She knew this question was coming. Knowing that Chris was very sensitive, she picked her words carefully as she didn't want to scare him. She grabbed both of his hands and gave a gentle squeeze before explaining. "Well, Chris. You know that Uncle Johnny was already hurt before we had our accident." As he shook his head, she continued, "He reinjured his leg trying to get us free so he's gonna have a cast on for a while." Chris smiled as if he thought that was cool. "He also got banged up pretty good when we rolled down the hill. We didn't know it at the time, but he hurt his ribs. Mommy was hurt and I hit my head so I wasn't awake. Uncle Johnny had to get me out of the car. He was swimming to the surface with me when Daddy and Mr. Brice got there to help. The water was really cold and that with all his other injuries made him really sick." She looked intently at him, making sure he was satisfied with the answer. "Does that answer your question?'

Chris nodded. Thinking over how sick his Uncle was, made Chris anxious to make him a card. Giving his mom a big kiss he told her he'd be upstairs and trotted off.

When the kids were gone, Roy pulled Joanne into a big hug. "They'll be okay," he promised.

She nodded, glad that was over with. Giving Roy a quick kiss, she suggested, "Why don't you come help me make something for dinner." Roy gave a quick nod and they walked arm in arm into the kitchen.

After a quick and easy dinner, Roy and Joanne helped the kids with their homework. The rest of the evening was spent as a family, laughing and talking and playing games. They both took the kids up to put them to bed. Gathered around Jenny's bed, they said their prayers and at the very end, Chris added, "Dear God, please take care of our Uncle Johnny and bring him home to us soon. Amen." Roy and Joanne both teared up at the heartfelt plea and added their own prayers for their dear friend.


	17. Chapter 17

**An Act of Friendship**

**Chapter 17**

The sound of birds chirping drifted into her consciousness. Joanne opened her eyes then blinked a couple of times, waking slowly. She heard the sound of the coffee maker as it burbled away and inhaled deeply. The rich, dark smell wafted through the room and she sighed in contentment. She lay there, going over her plans for the day and a sense of excitement started to fill her. Finally, she would get to see Johnny. Even though it had only been a few days, it had felt like forever. Until she saw him, she wouldn't be at ease. Arching her back, she cataloged how she felt. There was a slight pull on her ribs, but not nearly as bad as yesterday and for the first time since the accident, she'd woken without a headache. Satisfied, she smiled to herself. She heard drawers opening and closing as the kids got ready for school. Throwing the covers back, she rose from the bed and grabbed her robe. She walked into Jenny's room and found her almost completely dressed. Giggling, she had to convince her daughter that it was not appropriate to wear her bathing suit top with a skirt to school. Next she checked on Chris. He was trying to wear a pair of red shorts with a lime green T-shirt. Shaking her head she walked downstairs as she thought it was a good thing she'd gotten up when she did. "Morning love," she said with a big grin as she walked over to Roy, who was reading the paper.

He looked up, "Morning sweetheart," he raised one brow, "Don't we look happy," he replied teasingly before pulling her in for a quick kiss.

She kissed him back then pulled away to go get some coffee. "Alright Mister, you know exactly why I'm so happy today," she teased back.

Roy chuckled. "Yeah…I do," he replied then went back to reading the paper.

Taking a sip of her coffee, Joanne leaned against the counter and enjoyed the soothing warmth and richness of the flavorful brew. Before she knew it, the kids had come downstairs and she got busy with breakfast preparations. The children chattered happily as they ate their breakfast. They each brought down several pictures they had made for Uncle Johnny and made their parents promise to deliver them to him. After brushing teeth and picking up backpacks, they gave Joanne a kiss goodbye. She stood at the door and waved to them as Roy walked them to school. Turning, she headed back to the kitchen to clean up the breakfast dishes.

By the time Roy returned everything was washed, dried, and put away and Joanne was anxious to go. It was a beautiful day and Joanne felt a sense of relief and contentment as they drove along the busy roads. Not wishing to make the same mistake twice, Roy made sure to take an alternate route to Rampart. As they drove, Roy prepared Joanne to see Johnny. Joanne thought he was being overly cautious, but didn't say anything.

They walked into the bustling ER, and approached Dixie's desk. She looked up from the chart she was working on as they approached. The smile on her face was genuine as she said, "Hey there, you look like you're doing pretty well, Joanne."

"Thanks Dixie, I'm feeling a lot better today," Joanne happily replied.

"I'm glad to hear that. And I could be wrong, but I think a lot of it has to do with who you're here to see," she teased with a raised brow.

"Guilty as charged," Joanne replied sheepishly. "How is Johnny doing?"

Dixie's smile faded slightly as she looked at Roy and said, "He's hanging in there. Now don't be alarmed but Kel wanted to see you when you came in…"

"Dix, what's wrong?" Roy interrupted.

"Roy…" Dixie began but then saw Kel exiting a treatment room. "Kel," she called as Roy and Joanne turned around.

Kel heard his name and looked over. Seeing Roy and Joanne standing in stunned silence, he hurried over. "Roy, Joanne, I wanted to give you an update on Johnny. Why don't we go to my office," he suggested as he gestured down the hall. Roy put his arm on Joanne's back and gently guided her to Kel's office. Kel questioned Joanne on how she was feeling and she assured him she was feeling much better.

They quietly entered Kel's office and sat down as Kel perched on the corner of his desk. "I just wanted to update you on Johnny's condition and treatment plan," he said kindly. "I think we're finally heading in the right direction." His mouth quirked into a small smile at the relieved looks on both of their faces. "His temperature is hovering right around 103.5, which is an improvement from before. I think we've finally found the right combination of antibiotics. His kidney functions have improved. They're still on the low side, but I don't foresee any problems there. Likewise, his liver functions are all normal. I did have to start him on a low dose of Dopamine to bring his pressure up, but we should be able to discontinue that in another day or so. Doctor Lewis checked his leg today. The sutures are healing nicely and he said he'll probably cast the leg in two days." At Roy's nod, he continued, "His lungs are still very congested but as long as his fever doesn't spike again, I'd like to start easing up on the sedation tomorrow. The goal being to take him off the vent the day after tomorrow."

Roy gave a small smile and reached over and grabbed Joanne's hand. He glanced at Joanne then back to Brackett. "Let me tell you Doc, you really had us scared for a while." Joanne nodded in agreement.

"I'm sorry, Roy – that wasn't my intent. I just wanted to keep you posted and I also wanted to see if there would be any way for you to be here tomorrow late afternoon. I know Johnny and he usually does better if you're here when he wakes up."

"Not a problem, Doc. Wild horses couldn't keep me away." Roy said with a big grin.

Joanne chipped in earnestly, "Make that two of us, Dr. Brackett."

Kel stood up smiling. "Now that that's settled, let me walk you up," he said as herded them out of his office.

XXXXXXX

As they stood outside Johnny's room, Joanne nervously shifted from foot to foot. The mask on her face was uncomfortable and made her feel slightly claustrophobic. She was excited to see Johnny, but apprehensive too. On the way up, Dr. Brackett had also prepared her for what she would find. She knew everyone was trying to be helpful, but it was having the opposite effect. She felt like a bundle of nerves and if she could've seen herself, she probably would've teased that she was channeling Johnny as she bounced from foot to foot.

Roy finished tying his face mask on then asked, "Ready?"

She gave a brief nod and took a deep, calming breath_. 'Remember, you're a fireman's wife. You can do this,'_ she repeated to herself in her head. She walked with leaden feet into the room and straight to Johnny as Mike stood up and walked over to Roy. They started talking, but she tuned them out. Her concentration was solely on Johnny. He looked awful. No wonder everyone kept trying to prepare her. It was hard to reconcile that the pale, lifeless form on the bed was her normally vibrant, larger than life friend. Visions of Johnny flickered through her mind…chasing the kids through the backyard…rolling around like playful puppies as they tickled and laughed…hoisting himself on his horse and riding away…and so many more passed before her eyes. Her throat tightened and tears pooled in her eyes as she bent down and kissed him on the forehead. She blinked back the tears as she cringed at the heat coming off him. "Oh Johnny look what you've done to yourself, baby," she whispered as she stroked his hair. She turned her head when she felt a warm hand stroking her back.

"You okay?" Roy asked his bright blue eyes filled with concern.

"Yeah – it's just a shock," she replied hoarsely as she battled her emotions.

Roy kissed her on the cheek and replied, "I know." He reached down and placed his hand on top of Johnny's and gave a gentle squeeze. "Hey Junior, I told you I'd be back," he said warmly.

They stood like that for a long time before Joanne convinced Roy that he should take Mike down to the cafeteria for some lunch. Roy gave her a quick kiss and checked to make sure she'd be okay before following Mike.

Once they were gone, Joanne bent closer to Johnny and began to talk. "Johnny, I just want you to know how sorry I am that all this happened. I know there was no way to know that the shoulder of the road was so soft and would crumble like that, but I still feel guilty. I know you would never want me to feel that way and I'll do my best to let it go. It may just take a while. I also wanted to thank you for saving my life. When you woke me up in the car, I was so scared. But you know what…I knew that no matter what, you would do everything in your power to save us and that's exactly what you did. And now, unfortunately, you're paying the price. You just had a couple more weeks to go until you could go back to work and now you're back to square one or worse. But you know we'll be there for you every step of the way. No matter how long it takes. As soon as you're cleared, you'll be coming home with us. You're a wonderful extension of our family and we wouldn't have it any other way. We love you, Johnny. I know Roy has told me that you think of me as the big sister you never had. I'm honored that you feel that way and I feel the same way too. So you just rest and get better, little brother." She wiped a tear from her face and lapsed into silence feeling a sense of peace and acceptance settle over her.

She was still silently stroking Johnny's hair when Roy and Mike returned. Roy walked over and put his arm around her shoulder. "Better now?" he asked intently. She nodded her head. They visited for a while longer until Cap came in for his turn. Roy went over everything that Brackett had told him. Cap assured Roy that he'd find a replacement so he could be at the hospital tomorrow. Right before they left, Joanne remembered the pictures the kids had made that were in her purse. She pulled them out and they tacked them up to the bulletin board on the one wall. They spoke for a few more minutes before taking their leave.


End file.
